i need some help on my 305 engine.i need help putting in and wiring the distributor.its brand new and need hel

Question

i need some help this might seem easy but im a starter.its a 1973 nova with a 305 and ive been buying everything new i bought the distributor with the spark plugs and the wires but dont know how to put it all together. i dont know where the first wire goes that prety much i need help on.the timming chain is in but i need help with the distributor's first point of start so if sombody out there can help me it will be very cool of u.thank you

Answer 1

Yep, this is easy for ME but it will be a pain for you.

First, get to know your engine. While looking at is from the front, there is a left side and a right side. they are called the left bank and the right bank.

The engine has a firing order it is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. WRITE it down.

Each plug hole is assigned a number. Starting on the RIGHT bank, they start off from the front as 1 and then 3 followed by 5 and finally 7

Conversely, on the left bank, the cylinder numbers are 2-4-6 and 8.

The 73 nova had two different distributors that year, a conventional POINT type distributor and a point less model called HEI or High Energy Ignition. This distributor can be identified as HEI because it is some 5 inches across.

To start the timing process (that is what this is called, static timing of the engine) you need to rotate CLOCKWISE CC by hand (a large breaker bar wrench on the engine front crank nut will do) the engine while your finger is placed tightly over the #1 spark plug hole (Remember where that is?) until the compression of the piston pushes your finger off the whole and a soft Sppppttt of air is heard. Put a wooded pencil (NOTHING THAT WILL damage the piston crown) into the hole and make sure it touches the top of the piston. While holding the pencil on the top of th piston, have someone CONTINUE to roll the engine over until the pencil stops rising in the spark plug hole. This is TDC Ignition. if you do this wrong (fail to hear the Ppppptt) you will end up on TDC compression and all of this work will be for nothing.

Leave the engine in this psition and remove the breaker bar to prevent disturbing the engine position.

IF you have the HEI distributor, remove the cap assy and turn over the distributor and look at the gear end of it. The end of the distributor shaft will have a large SLOT on the end sorta like a large flat blade screwdriver. Set the dist aside and with a flashlight look into the dist bore in the engine and look down into the engine. You SHOULD see the top of the oil pump and inside the pump is a matching slot (female) into which you are going to drop the distributor slot.

Step back for a moment and THINK about your problem. When installed PROPERLY, the dist must be in such a position as to make certain that the oil pump drive slot is engaged (or else the engine COULD run and not pump any oil and burn it up) that the dist driven gear is enmeshed into the cam gear, and after all of this, the distributor must be pointing into a certain position on the motor. So, the dist must POINT in a certain way, it must be engaged in a certain way and it must be able to tap into the oil pump slot.

Other than THAT ...its a piece of cake.

There IS a cheap shot way to put this dist in but it would give you lots of fits later on so we will do it the professional way.

Using your BRAIN (I know, it ain't gonna be easy) draw an imaginary straight line down the exact CENTER of the engine from the dist hole to the water pump. This is the engine centerline. When properly installed (that means when it is engaged into the cam gear and the slot is in the oil pump) and the dist is ALL the way down FLAT in the engine, the rotor button (large white plastic rotor with the metal clip on the edge) will be pointing JUST OFF the center line to the drivers side about 15 degrees. That is when it is all done.

BUT, the cam gear will cause the shaft to rotate too far around and the rotor button will point too far to the rear to be in the right position. So, we have to use something called Kentucky Windage. this is when you are shooting a turkey at long range and you don't want the wind to affect your aim. You "lead" the target in order that the wind will blow the bullet into the turkey (you hope).Same with the distributor.

Since the cam gear will lead the rotor into the rear, but we want the rotor to be pointing 15 degree off the straight line, we will have to lead the distributor into the cam gear by at least one tooth.

Your not going to get this right the first time, so don't worry about it. The only thing to "worry about" is getting the engine back to TDC compression each time you move the engine.

Now, ONCE you have the engine in TDC compression, turn the distributor shaft so that the rotor tip is facing about 0 degrees straight down the engine centerline line (remembers, we are LEADING the cam gear) Place the dist shaft into the hole with the vacuum advance housing pointing to the rear of the engine, and let it down to engage the camshaft gear. The dist will hit one of the teeth and want to engage it but it will NOT go all the way in because the oil pump slot is not lined up. To line up the slot the dist must be turned but you cannot turn the dist because it is now engaged in the cam gear. (WHAT TO DO) Simple, bump the engine over GENTLY while holding the dist DOWN with a SLIGHT but firm pressure while the engine it being turned over. When the slot in the dist lines up with the oil pump drive slot you will "feel" the dist drop another 1/2" or so into the slot. You are now STATICALLY timed.

Check the location of the rotor button pointer and be certain it is pointing 15% off the center line of the engine WHEN THE ENGINE HAS BEEN BROUGHT BACK AROUND TO TDC COMPRESSION. If not, repeat the engine to TDC compression routine and do it again (remover the dist before turning the engine)

Once you have the dist IN the engine and ALL the way down on the oil pump slot, observe the location of the rotor electrode. Place the dist cap ON the distributor and rotate the dist back and forth in its bore and stop it approximately half way between one extreme rotation and the other, in the middle actually.

Now we are going to wire the dist. Starting with the wire terminal DIRECTLY above the rotor electrode (#1) we will run the longest single wire in the wire set from the dist to the #1 spark plug hole. Moving CCW Counterclockwise (the dist turns counterclockwise) to the net wire terminal, we place another high tension wire into that terminal and it is routed to the NEXT plug in the firing order, which is #8, followed by #4, #3 #6 and so on until all are in place. Be certain that the wires DO NOT rest on a hot manifold or rub against any sharp corners. be sure that they are tied down before running the engine.

And THAT sir, is the long and short of timing a 305 V-8 Chebby.

Good luck

Answer 2

Best to buy a service manual for detailed instructions...parts stores carry Chilton or Haynes. You need to rotate the engine so that number 1 cylinder is on Top Dead Center, drop in the distributor so that the rotor is pointing to the front of the engine and note on the cap where it is pointing to determine where to put the number 1 plug wire, then install the other wires on the cap in the correct firing order (1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2) following the rotation of the rotor. TDC can be found by pulling the number 1 plug out and putting your finger over the hole.... slowly rotate the engine with the starter and watch for the timing mark on the balancer to come up to the timing pointer mark for 0...if it's on TDC, the compression cycle pressure will blow your finger out of the hole. The balancer mark also comes up to 0 when it's 180 degrees off from TDC so make sure it is TDC by feeling the pressure.
This method will get you close enough to start but you may have to rotate the distributor a little when attempting to start and you'll have to final time it when warmed up.