#1 is 180 degrees South

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 14:04:43 -0500, snipped-for-privacy@xyzzy.stafford.net (jjs) ran around screaming and yelling:

make sure you are on TDC of number one and not number three...on TDC of number three the rotor will be "180 degree's off".... JT

I'm tired. I can't figure this out. Best call it a day. It runs like crap is all I know right now. I also know that the TDC mark on the pulley lines up when the rotor is pointed 180 away from the 'normal' spot. WTF. Can't even think right now.

For every distributor revolution there is two complete revolutions=20 on the crank and crank pulley. Phase where cylinder #1 is in end of the compression cycle and in TDC and phase where #3 is in end of compression cycle and in TDC. Easiest way to determine which of the times are in hand is to turn the=20 pulley to TDC and take the valve cover off and feel the=20 cylinder #1 valve rockers. If they both have free play, you have TDC in #1. If not, you have TDC in #3.=20 You can ofcourse pop the other cover also and test #3 similarily.

What's happening here is an engine that just never ran as well as I felt it could, and upon starting it after winter storage, all it does is backfire through the carbs, make big explosions out the exhaust, won't advance. Runs like crap. I don't have enough time for this shit.

revolutions=3D20

Plug wires swapped?

and or bad gas/carb plugged...

Isn't it easier to pop the distributor cap off and look at the rotor?

Or are there off the wall situations where you couldn't trust what the distributor is telling you.