fresh build ?

[guffey24]

any tips on cranking this thing once it is installed

this is what I have done, and a few things that I didnt do

I spun the oil pump with a big flat head, I cut off, and a drill for like 5 min to build the oil pressure

for some reason I skipped the step for finding top dead center, didnt install the balancer until after the heads went on

I need a way to find top dead center to number 1

another problem is the new motorcraft dizzy will not seat all the way it lacks a 1/2 an inch, and I swear I am lining the gear up with the oil pump shaft, I tried about 10 times before I got frustrated and here I am

any help would be greatly appreciated

[1tuffcj]

have a freind or your kid or you wife put there finger or thumb over the #1 sparkplug hole, o yeah take all the sparkplugs out it will be easier to turn the motor over. turn the bolt in the center of the crank pully untill the finger get's blown off. they'll feel the presure building, then you'll here a sssss, now have that person look at the balancer and tell you when to stop on tdc. as for the dizzy, are anticapating the spiral afect of the dizzy gear, as it goes down the gear will mesh with the cam gear, it does take some patients. everything i told you worked perfect for me. hope that helps. o yeah if your useing a filter with a return line to the tank, plug it for now. as your turning it over it might suck to much gas back to the tank and not the carb, thats what i had to do. also it would.nt hurt to have a big fan or fans in front of the engine, if you plan on runnig it long ( cam break in).

[1980_Cj7]

Yep, you just have to keep turning the distributor shaft (keep the body in the position you need it in for the vacuum chamber, wiring harness, etc. to line up where they need to be) like a tooth at a time and turning the oil pump shaft with a long screwdriver until you hit the magic spot where all the planets align and the distributor falls all the way down into place. On top of all that, the trick is to have the rotor pointed at No. 1 when it's all said and done.

If you get it to go into place and it's not pointed at No. 1, just look and how far off it is and in what direction, pull the distributor, and turn the oil pump shaft accordingly. It's kind of a pain, but I'm getting so good at it I'm actually starting to enjoy it, ha, ha.

I like to have No. 1 the forward most terminal on the distributor, but you can really make any terminal No. 1 so long as your plug wires reach and you keep them all in the proper relation to each other.

Good luck.

[guffey24]

tried again today to get that damn dizzy lined up, it still will not go in that last half inch

pissin me off

just venting

[AMX69PHATTY]

I tried and tried and was also getting frustrated.
Had someone help.
I held the dizzy like it was ready to drop in
while the other person looked at the bottom of the shaft
and then turned the oil pump to align with the shaft
then I dropped in the dizzy
and it went right into place first try.
But the motor was on the stand, not in the car.

[jeepsr4ever]

Was it a new timing cover and new gear set? Sometimes the gears have soo much contact that they are tough to install. If this is the case you will need to pull your alingment pins and loosen all the bolts holding your timing cover on. Gently drop your distributor in and then tighten the bolts down. I have seen many blocks and many many timing covers on the edge of the tolerance and when you use a new gear set it sets them just out of their factory tolerance. It isnt hard to deal with at all.

[guffey24]

everything is new on the engine except the timing cover

you guys are talking about aligning the oil pump gears, I understand what you are saying

I must be missing something, is there a way to align the oil pump gears from outside of the timing cover?

cause I dont see a flathead screw driver and the dizzy going in the same hole at the same time

I am going to try loosening the bolts up and linging everything up like that, good idea thanks

[jeepsr4ever]

Did you use the alignment pins when you bolted the timing cover on?

[1980_Cj7]

everything is new on the engine except the timing cover

you guys are talking about aligning the oil pump gears, I understand what you are saying

I must be missing something, is there a way to align the oil pump gears from outside of the timing cover?

cause I dont see a flathead screw driver and the dizzy going in the same hole at the same time

I am going to try loosening the bolts up and linging everything up like that, good idea thanks

There are two things that have to line up before the distributor will go all the way in, the teeth on the gears on the cam and on the distributor, and the slot in the oil pump drive shaft and the flat end of the distributor shaft. You can't reposition the oil pump shaft with the distributor in. You have to remove the distributor, then reach down thru the hole with a long screw driver and turn the oil pump shaft one way or the other so it aligns with the distributor shaft. Then you put the distributor back in and see if it goes down. If not, repeat the above.

Remember, as the distributor goes down, it turns due to the spiral cut gear, so you have to allow for that when positioning the slot in the oil pump shaft.

[guffey24]

Did you use the alignment pins when you bolted the timing cover on?

alignment pins are in there