VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 problems with distributor

wouldnt you know I was taking my 28 chevy truck to an all chevy show tomorrow and getting her ready to load up for the morning
the truck had run so very nice, but it would not run well at a higher RPM

I removed the distributor cap and re-set the gap
I put the rotor cap back and the distributor cap back locking the spring clips into place

the engine ran for a bit then nothing

I went back to the distributor and it had rotated a quarter of a turn , breaking the spring clips and the rotor cap as well, also ripping the condenser wire out of the condenser.

the nut that holds the distributor shaft was tight

what in the world did I do to make this happen
did I get the rotor cap on wrong and it lodged , turning the distributor?

I loosened the nut and the distributor was rotated back to where I remember that is was roughly

where is the distributor supposed to be positioned, and I guess I will get a new cap and springs, condenser and try again

would someone let me know what I did to cause this , and where to position the distributor , before I tighten it back down?

thank you all

Hi Paul,

I always set the timing with number one cylinder at top dead center (TDC) and with the spark lever in the full retard position (pulled toward you). After the engine is running for a few moments, I move the spark lever to the full advance position and leave it there for driving.

I do not worry about (or even check) to see if the fully advanced timing is at the 25 degrees before TDC, as the repair book specifies. I'm more concerned about not causing damage to the starter or flywheel gear by trying to start with too much advance on the distributor.

Here's a link to a previous post where I described how I time the engines in my two trucks: https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/391674/re-1927-timing-off.html#Post391674

Hope this helps. Dean

Hi Paul

Where you lock the distributor down is part of and determined by the ignition timing process, as referred to by Dean.
The broken spring clips and distributor cap suggest (necessitate actually) that the rotor caught the distributor cap.
I assume the rotor is destroyed as well?

I would guess that the rotor wasn't seated properly and far enough down on the shaft before the cap was installed.
Of course I could be totally wrong here, but it seems to me to be the most likely answer.

I also realized that I have lost one of my distributor cap spring clips
the force of the rotating distributor shaft, caused one of the clips to shear off
I have no idea where it went to. I suspect that being spring steel, it shot off into space somewhere

any ideas where I can get a distributor spring clip for my 28?