"Replacing" Distributor vs Installing First Distributor on New Engine

[Chief Brody]

Bit of a dumb question I suppose for the learned, but I am replacing my distributor. Do I treat it like a brand new engine / distributor install with lining up TDC and all that, or is it just remove and drop in making sure the rotor is pointed in the right direction?

 

[wasted wages]

before you pull the old one note the position of the vac advance can.... note the position of the rotor....mark both or take a picture.

pull the old one, drop the new one in noting the rotor position and the vac can position.
put the clamp on....start it up and check final timing with a timing light.

note that the rotor will rotate a small amount when you pull it up. If
the dizzy will not drop all the way in, you may have to bump the motor over to get it to go all the way down to engage the oil pump drive tang.

have a helper
bump it just a small amount while you push down on the dizzy housing... it doesn't take very much...

 

[Chief Brody]

Thanks...I didn't have anybody to bump it over, then I remembered that I bought one of those oil pump primers that you put on a drill....that made it easier but it was still a guessing game. I'm too old to be "body surfing" the engine bay in one of these things

 

[wasted wages]

I'm too old to be "body surfing" the engine bay in one of these things

Believe me,, I totally understand...
I'm in the same boat...

 

[Jimmy85]

Best to have the engine on TDC. Take the cap off and the rotor should be somewhat facing cylinder 1. At least you have a starting point to come back to.

 

[bp71k5]

If you mark the vacuum canister and the rotor position, you won’t have to bump the engine over. You just need to understand the rotor will rotate a little as the distributor gear meshes with the cam gear. So you just need to start the install with the rotor a little rotated back so that when it slides in it’ll be forced to sit where it’s supposed to be. May need to jiggle the distributor a tad to get things to mesh. It’s not hard.