My New '68 Camaro Z/28 Butternut Yellow

[maroman]

The reason you can't get the distributor to index where it needs to be is the oil pump rod. When you did all the other work you turned the engine over. You now need to orient the pump rod correctly so the rotor will line up where it's supposed to be. You didn't take that deep breathe, did you?

[JohnZ]

Rather than type it out, I'm attaching Lars Grimsrud's excellent paper on how to install a Chevy V-8 distributor; follow the instructions and you'll have it running in no time.

[69Z28-RS]

I've been doing this stuff for over 40 yrs, and the techniques I have used were the ways I learned around age 20, they 'worked', and I never had reason to 'find a way to do it better'... , BUT I want to thank John for attaching Lars' paper.  It is EXCELLENT.. and I learned a couple of things that I will use next time I do this job!!

If a 'new Chevy guy' learns and follows the methods described... he should never encounter any insurmountable issues with distributor timing on an old Chevy V8...

Danny:   READ and HEED Lars' paper...

Thanks again JOHNZ!! 

[1968 Z28]

Rather than type it out, I'm attaching Lars Grimsrud's excellent paper on how to install a Chevy V-8 distributor; follow the instructions and you'll have it running in no time.

Good write up on "walking the distributor rotor".....I learned this many years ago by accident and never had to use a long screwdriver to index the oil pump shaft thereafter.  Like Lars said, you can walk that rotor around faster than you can find a long screwdriver.  The rest of the article was very well written and informative.  Have never seen this before but I'm sure going to save it for future reference and sharing.

[janobyte]

Good article, and covers what I was taught to be " cold setting " the timing. I think sometimes it may be hard for people to wrap their brain around rotor placement/ #1 firing position. Danny will get it ,just takes a few times to also develop the "feel". Also check your plugs again as you could have easily fouled one. Then your chasing your tail so to speak.

[Kelley W King]

Kind of neat that he uses the finger in the hole trick. I thought I invented it.

[x77-69z28]

We are still talking about distributors right?

[ko-lek-tor]

We are still talking about distributors right?

I think we are moving on to a subject I really have expertise in...finally!

[dannystarr]

Update... I realized that I was trying to line the rotor up with the # 1 Cylinder, Not on the rotor. I know, not real smart. I found TDC # 1. Dropped the dist. right in and it's pointing to number 1. Amazing how easy that was when ya do it. I installed the wires as described and she fired right up. I keep getting conflicting advice about the dwell setting. Some old timer told me 32 is too high, and go to 29. All the books say 28-32. So I set it at 29.5. Another guy who is the Bowtietuner told me 32 is too high, and go 29. He seems to really know his stuff. Good for now. Timing set, idle set, fuel/air set. Warmed it up and took it for a ride, and it won't pull. Picked up off the line well, but once I get going it starts to hesitate big time. Took it back to the garage, pulled the dist. and changed the rotor over to an old dist. from Kragen that I had laying around. I threw the rotor on and filed the points real quick, dropped it in and it fired right up. Set the dwell at 30 etc. etc. Wanted to see if there was a noticeable difference and there was. It was a MAJOR dog off the line, Had to ride the clutch, but once I got going it pulled like hell, and blasted right up to 80MPH. SO, the original reworked dist. is advancing, but coming in to early. So I need something in between right ?   I wish I could just change the springs and weights myself. Anybody know what I need to buy, do I need the weights also? I'll tell ya just pulling on the throttle from outside the car and it revs right up with no hesitation. But I know that old Kragen dist. is not performance oriented. So I need to rework the original dist. Here is what I found from the shop.

   Advance starts 11-1200 all in by 2,800 to 3,000. Has 18 degrees mechanical and 10 degrees Vacuum. That's all the info On the tag. And it reads 10 degrees vac on my test gauge. Should I have it come in later, at say 1,500 to 1,700? Or maybe 1,800 to 2,000? Note also, he changed the vacuum pod. It has a number on it that says B26. Anybody know what that is? He saved the original pod and put it in the box.

 Almost there guys, thanx for everything so far. Home stretch me in...    ... Danny


 

[TRLAND]

Danny,

JohnZ Timing 101 papers and Lars papers on timing and vacuum advance cans helped me out a ton.  Lars paper on vacuum advance explains the specs on your B26 can. I'm a novice at this and was able to get everything dialed in with the knowledge and experience they've shared on paper.  Springs, weights, vacuum advance limiters, etc. are all explained by two fine writers for anyone to understand.  Lars rebuilt a carb for me and sent me many of his papers on request.  My '67 327/275 RS  probably runs and performs better than the day it left the factory.

Mike

[TODD]

Danny
That curve sounds good, didn’t here you say what vacuum you get at idle or advance setting without the can. Should be 8*-10* initial, distributor all in by 2800, Didn’t hear what PV’s your running but they should be half the vacuum reading at idle. What PV’s did you install? Also I run a .031 pump shooter (the stock .028 shooter had a lean off-idle transition with 3.5 PVs) 72 primary jets with 76 secondary jets.
Sounds like your distributor is real close now, carburetor needs addressed.

[JoeC]

I never liked that "walking the distributor rotor"..... method because the oil pump drive shaft is held on the oil pump shaft with a plastic/nylon bushing. Those bushings can split in half pretty easy when they are old.

I think the "walking the distributor rotor" method may put the old bushing at more risk. Would not want to risk that when all you have to do is turn the shaft with a long screwdriver to alien it. May take a few tries but I never had a problem with doing it that way. Normally drops in with the first or second try.


on your Z .. check that your points wires don't interfere with the mechanical advance inside the dist
I have seen where an engine would idol fine but when the dist advanced, it would pull on the points and cause a missfire

[janobyte]

If you had back fire up through the carb ,unless it has blowout protection ,power valves will need replaced.

[dannystarr]

Ok, all sounds good. I didn't do the rotor skip trick, as it fell right in place both times, so maybe I got lucky. I thought that distributor sounded all set-up correctly. It must be the carb. Cause when I try to adjust the fuel/air in, the idle just keeps climbing up and up, and with the adjuster screws all the way in it idles up to 2,000, but doesn't die. So I couldn't get it correctly adjusted. I bought this carb new off line. I don't know what it has. My original is boxed for now, as I think it needs more throttle bushing work etc, it's binding and not closing all the way.. I will send it out to a pro rebuilder when I get the money. Maybe this winter.

 Why did it run better with that crappy distributor ?

  Vac at idle is 10. So I will pull this carb and install 4.5's or 5's ?? It probably has the 6.5's in it stock, but not sure. I will go check the Vac at static idle tonight, with the original Dist. installed. I wanna use that one to measure Vacuum again correctly, right ? ... Danny

[janobyte]

Before you tear the carb apart call Holley ,or look up the number to see if it has blow out protection, I don't know what you have. The diaphragms are fragile on the power valves and are junk 1st back fire through the carb. Car will run poorly. Also...check your plugs to make sure you didn't foul one. Again ,car will run poorly.