VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 6 volt Timing Jumping Around

Good news: we have finally started the truck and even drove it around for a while. Saturday was wonderful.

Truck: '37 1/2T
Engine: '51 car block

Bad News: Since loosening the screw to set the timing correctly (and cleaning all of the grease off and from around the distributor and octane selector) the timing is jumping around quite a bit. If I reset the timing it starts and runs just fine for up to 5 minutes, then it dies out and will not restart. I turn the engine back "on ball" and open the cap and the rotor is not at #1 any longer.

I do have some play in that the distributor moves around a little bit, but it doesn't seem like enough to cause this problem. Is there anything else I should be looking at?

I understand that there is a brass bushing that wears and causes the wobble, which bushing is it? How big should it be? Is a rebuild something I can do?

Who are the reputable rebuilders around?

I do have another distributor from another 216. I may try it tomorrow. I would like to be able to "check out" the spare before I put it in.

Any help would be great.

The distributor should not move at all. Any movement will cause the timing to change.

Thanks JYD, that is what I thought.

Is replacing bushings, rebuilding something one can do at home or should it be sent out?

You say with the ball lined up the rotor not pointing to #1, the rotor will point at #1 or #6 with timing marks properly aligned. The camshaft and distributor turn at 1/2 crankshaft speed which set #1 and #6 directly opposite.
Tony

Thank you Tony,

I should have been more clear. The last time I did this, the rotor appeared to be centered between #4 and #1. I did have it advanced 3 dashes (6°?) but it seemed excessive to me.

But what do I know, this is the first time I have ever set points in a vehicle! :) I am still learning.

In parts for sale there is a 37 distributor for sale if interested.

As I remember, there are no bushings in the 1937 distributor.

Does a '51 dizzy have a bushing?

I am wondering if there is enough wear on the distributor or camshaft gear or both for the distributor to "jump" timing?

My experience with a worn distributor shaft, bushing, or housing is that the timing can move around a bit but not enough to cause the engine to not run. Also many times one can see a noticeable distributor wobble with the engine running.

I have found that with distributor wobble the distributor is either not all of the way seated in the engine block or the distributor shaft is bent.

Good point doggie. If the distributor is not fully seated in the block then it is much more prone to "jump" timing as the gears will not completely engage. That type of wiggle is not sexy.

Right.....and I have run into distributors that were not seated correctly several times in the past, and they had a lot of "distributor wobble".

How do I verify that it is fully seated?

How far down should it go? I see the dizzy gear engage with the cam gear because the rotor turns.

The distributor and the octane selector should sit down fully against the engine block, and there should be no distributor wobble when the engine is running.