1956 SERIES 62 365 TIMING/ DISTRIBUTOR

[RICHNICH56]

Please go easy on me here as this is my FIRST post. I should also add that I am very new to the antique car "club" with minimal experience and FEWER abilities, I'm afraid...but there is something about these Cadillacs that I found irresistible and just had to own one!

I just rebuilt the engine (365) and am having some trouble stabbing the distributor correctly. Following the instructions in the book, it says to drop the distributor with ROTOR "POINTER" FACING THE REAR of the engine...TDC compression stroke.."C" mark on harmonic balancer...vacuum adv disconnected and blocked off...
When i dropped it facing the FIREWALL it fired up and ran a little rough at first then smoothed out, i let it run a few minutes at idle then shut it off, tried to start it up and NOTHING, just turned over like it was hot.
So I took the distributor back out and this time aimed the rotor toward the FRONT BUMPER and it started up here as well! before I do any damage here, can someone tell me- does the rotor (brass pointer) truely face the rear of the ENGINE (pointing to the front bumper) or does it infact point to the FIREWALL?
Thanks for any help,
R Nicholson

[35-709]

The rear of the engine is at (closest to) the firewall. 

[RICHNICH56]

Gee thank that's a real help! WOW
Now, does anyone have any real help to offer?

[35-709]

".... I do any damage here, can someone tell me- does the rotor (brass pointer) truely face the rear of the ENGINE (pointing to the front bumper) or does it in fact point to the FIREWALL?"

All right, how about you explain to this dumb axx just what your question is, because the question above says does the rotor point to the rear of the engine or to the firewall --- which are in the same place.     

[J. Gomez]

Rich,

If you are reference Fig 9-12 on the service manual that is an illustration as to how the distributor would face on the engine. The vacuum advance would be about 9 o’clock and the oil tube about 5 o’clock. The new distributor cap with the adjustment window would be around 3 o’clock.

If you have the plug wires connected as it shown on the same figure #1 would facing towards the firewall. When you slide the distributor in the rotor would be facing towards the rear (firewall).

Now these placements would take in consideration that, #1 piston is at TDC and the timing mark on the pulley is at “A”.

Now the distributor may not aligned perfectly with #1 wire once you slide it in, so it would be best to have as much available rotation on either direction when you mount the distributor. You do not want to be blocked when you need more rotation by the vacuum advance.

Good luck..!

[35-709]

Thank you, Jose.  Maybe it is time for me to take a break.   

[RICHNICH56]

Thank you, Mr Gomez. That is what i was asking all along..see, being BETWEEN the block and firewall, the rotor pointer will point to EITHER the block OR the firewall (not both at the same time). I was asking which way to orient the initial direction of that pointer upon dropping the distributor-sorry if i confused the previous reply (not my intention at all). I do appreciate ALL your help and please forgive my impatience- i seem to , at times, have alot of impatience these days.
Thanks again to ALL replies

[J. Gomez]

Thank you, Jose.  Maybe it is time for me to take a break.   

Geoff,

Take “a break” well I’ll second that, good idea my friend..!   

[J. Gomez]

Thank you, Mr Gomez. That is what i was asking all along..see, being BETWEEN the block and firewall, the rotor pointer will point to EITHER the block OR the firewall (not both at the same time). I was asking which way to orient the initial direction of that pointer upon dropping the distributor-sorry if i confused the previous reply (not my intention at all). I do appreciate ALL your help and please forgive my impatience- i seem to , at times, have alot of impatience these days.
Thanks again to ALL replies

Rich,

Here is a high level drawing from the AEA Manual from a top prospective engine/distributor, the red arrow shows the rotor brass terminal pointing to #1 the red bar represents the firewall.

Hope this help..!

[RICHNICH56]

Just what I needed! THANK YOU!!!!