VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 advance timing

I am having a very difficult time advancing the timing on my 28 chevy. Distributor doesn't want to seat properly. Any suggestions? Thanks, Ricardo

Hi Ricardo,

Not quite sure what you mean by not seating properly. I assume you have lifted the distributor up and have lost registration with the oil pump. If so, release the clamp around the distributor and re-aline the distributor and oil pump shaft. Retime the car and tighten the clamp. Tighten the bolt and re-establish the linkage to the steering column. You can cheat on the 28 by looking through the hole in the bell housing and alining the timing mark.

I have done all you mentioned and I still see that the distributor doesn't quite go all the way down. Timing was retarded and offered me some heating problems. I lifted distributor out and tried to set it in advance position. Now doesn't quite want to slip or seat all the way down. Thanks, Ricardo :rolleyes:

Suggest you remove distributor completely, look down in the hole and find which way the oil pump drive shaft is oriented and then match the distributor to it. As the distributor is forced to rotate some because of the gear as it engages the cam shaft you must allow for this movement. Lots of fun

I would also suggest whilst you are takeing a peek you might run a long screwdriver down and engage the slot in the oil pump give it a complete 360* turn same direction that the rotor turns to see if there is any binding or sideways slop, then mark the length of screwdriver below the surface of the distributor stopping face on the engine block, that should give a clue as to what the problem is, Ok?

Dropped oil pan and noticed oil vanes are rotating more on one side than another. Is there a gasket that should go between the oil pump housing and the vanes? Best I could do with oil pump pressure was 6 to 8 on oil pump. I will try and turn oil pump 360 and see what gives. Ricardo

Hi Ricardo,

Sounds like everything is normal. The oil pump vanes are offset, there is no gasket, and 6-8 is low, but satisfactory. You didn't say if that was with a cold or hot engine. If hot, that is a good pressure.

HI RAY, WITH THIS NEW ENGINE IN MY 32, AT DRIVING SPEED I HAVE 30 POUNDS OIL PRESSURE AND AT IDLE I HAVE 12 T0 15 POUNDS PRESSURE. WHAT IS CONSIDERED OK. I HAVE ONLY 160 MILES ON THE ENGINE AND ABOUT SIX HOURS OF RUNNING THE ENGINE IN THE GARAGE. THANKS DON

Ricardo, MrMack has the right idea, pull the distributor, look down the hole in the block and see which way the slot in the end of the oil pump shaft is oriented and then take the distributor and set it in position with the cap off point the rotor cap toward the #1 cyl pull the distributor out and look at the gear on the bottom it should have a rectangular tip which matches up with the oil pump shaft . Align the oil pump shaft to match the distributor gear end. Make sure that the #1 cyl is at top dead center on the compression stroke (look through the small hole in the flywheel cover and align the pointer with the small ball on the flywheel. Turn the distributor rotor slightly counter clockwise (to the left) and insert it into the block it should engage the oil pump shaft as it rotates slightly to the right as it is inserted and engages the cam gear. When engaged correctly the distributor should be flush with the block and the rotor should point to the # 1 Cyl. :confused: see how easy that was Note: make sure the #1 cyl is at the top of the compression stroke and not the exaust stroke or the distributor may be 180% out of time in this event the engine will back fire through the carb. If this is the case rotate engine 180% and lift the distributor and and rotate it 180% and re insert as above (sounds like the instructions you get with a new vcr doesn't it )

Hope this helps.

Kirk

just just one correction, if it back fires (like it is fireing on the exhaust stroke of # 1 plug) crank the engine 360* and re insert the dist with the rotor where it should have been the first try. (if it was at 6:00 put it back at 6:00) or exactly pointing at the sparkplug wire for #1 sparkplug.

Richardo,
If it backfires through the carb. First just move #1 plug wire to the directly opposite hole and the wire in that hole to the #1 postion. Switch the other two. It should run fine. :) If you don't like the wire position then you can rotate the distributor as instructed above.

Don,
Most of us don't have the replacement gear pump with the higher pressure output. First because it is expensive and second because it is not needed. Third you need to reduce the flow or you will over oil the head and leak oil down the back side of the head and block.

Yeah! as per usual, the Chipper is right!

and that is why he don't have oil dripping off his engine!

Hi Ricardo,

Watch some of the instructions that you have been given. Your distributor has a drive gear on the end. Within that drive gear is a through pin. That pin is what alines with your oil pump drive shaft. The 28 engine is a 4-cylinder engine

Thanks for all the help. I found the markings on the fly wheel. Took the valve cover off and decided to make sure by seeing when the intake was going up and the exhaust valves closing. Thanks, Ricardo

CHEVY CHIP AND OH YES SKIPPY, I DO HAVE ALOT OF OIL RUNNING OUT THE BACK OF THE VALVE COVER. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO AS I DO HAVE A HIGH OIL PRESSURE. EVERYTHING IS ORIGINAL. THANKS

Well you could plug up the line to the valve rockers and do like we do on 4 cylinders, with a squirt can onto a piece of felt laying on top of the rockers!

I seriously doubt that you have an original oil pump (first design) with that kind of oil pressure. It sounds like you have a gear pump instead. Did a Model T dude work on your engine too??