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rockin78T/A · 09-22-2011, 01:36 PM

What side are your wires (tach and bat)going into the coil/distributor? I went to the southern nationals and noticed some T/A's were on the passenger and some on the drivers. Mine are on the drivers, and the advance is on the passenger. Which is correct? Also, it's been about 15 years since me and my dad pulled the distributor, he is not able to help me this time, what is the most common method you guys use. I was told to turn it over to make a mark on the firewall where the rotor is pointing, then mark where the advance is at. My Dad told me to put the engine at TDC, then pull the distributor. Which works best?

77 TRASHCAN · 09-24-2011, 04:31 PM

My vac advance is on the driver side (Pontiac 400), wires on pass side. I don't recall ever seeing a Pontiac w/ HEI, that was different. It could function, turned 180 degrees, but the vac advance would be pointing at the heater/AC box.

Chevrolets have wires on driver side, but their distributors's turn opposite direction, so the vac advance would face the engine...

If you need to pull the distributor. It is nice to move the engine to TDC on #1, just in case something screwy happens. I mark a reference point to where the vac advance is pointing, AND where the dist. rotor is pointing, then loosen the hold down bolt. and pull it out. Unless the engine for some reason gets turned, you should be able to put it back EXACTLY where it was.

The hardest part is getting the dist and oil pump shaft connection. Sometimes it will slide right back together, sometimes you have to slightly rotate the pump shaft w/ a long screwdriver...

rockin78T/A · 09-25-2011, 01:32 AM

Thanks for all the info. I had the motor rebuilt on the car maybe around 15 years ago. They put the distributor in 180 off I guess. It runs good, but was planning on putting the original distributor back in, since I've developed problems with the accel unit. So, if it's 180 off, I need to put the engine at tdc, point the rotor at the #1 plug. How do I know basically where to drop it inand where to put the #1 plug?

79TA455 · 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockin78T/A

Thanks for all the info. I had the motor rebuilt on the car maybe around 15 years ago. They put the distributor in 180 off I guess. It runs good, but was planning on putting the original distributor back in, since I've developed problems with the accel unit. So, if it's 180 off, I need to put the engine at tdc, point the rotor at the #1 plug. How do I know basically where to drop it inand where to put the #1 plug?

I'm not sure what your experience will be when you turn this around 180 but we had the same issue years ago on a 400 that was built by a chevy guy. Once I turned it around, that car picked up like never before. That may not be the only contributing factor as we replaced the springs on the distributor as well but I did so many stop sign peg leg rolling smoke shows with it right after that and even picked up my brother to show him.

Here is a pic from July '98 coming off the light at the drags and that after a "healthy" burn out:

Skip Fix · 10-03-2011, 03:48 PM

"My vac advance is on the driver side (Pontiac 400), wires on pass side."

X2 since mine was new.

rockin78T/A · 10-06-2011, 01:13 AM

the car runs great, fast as hell. Keeps burning up ignition modules though. This weekend I'm going to take all your guys advice, pull the accell, put back the original hei, with wires on the passenger side, vacuum on drivers, fire her up, and see what happens. Thanks for all the info, my wife was wandering, why when I went to the car show, I'd always be looking at the back of the motor of all the trans am's! Thanks again, I'll let you know what happens.

77 TRASHCAN · 09-25-2011, 08:02 PM

The deciding factor on one where # one cyl is on the dist, is where the timing gears were timed.

The easiest way to explain how to install the old (or new) dist w/ wires on pass side, is to think of pulling all the wires straight up and rotating dist 180 degrees (you will likely need to remove it to do this). Where the dist is sitting currently in the engine, the old # 6 on the cap will now be # 1, and the old # 1 will be # 6. The wires will be in the same order and location, you're just moving the whole distributor.

Before I started this, as stated above, I'd roll the engine to TDC #1. Then I'd take a straight edge, lay it across the centers of terminals # 1 and #6 on the cap/ coil assy. I'd mark on the valve cover, fire wall, where ever, a mark (w/ a sharpie) both ends of the straight edge for reference. Mark the wires w/ the before cyl #'s (knowing they will be 180 degrees out when done). Then move the dist.
As I said before, the hardest part (sometimes) can be getting the dist and oil pump shaft to mesh. It's not anything impossible though, just a little time...You might get lucky, you are pulling the dist, and installing 180 degreeso out, it might slide back in easy...

ta man · 09-26-2011, 02:52 PM

This is assuming the distributor is installed 180 degree out.The best spot for the number 1 cylinder is at about 4 or 5 o clock if looking across the drivers fender.This will put the vacuum can pointing towards the back of the drivers side cylinder head.

77 TRASHCAN · 10-07-2011, 10:28 PM

Does your car have all the proper grounds??? Plus others??? You can't have too much stuff grounded.
Most factory T/A's (mine did/does) have a gound strap bolted to the back of the passenger head, the other end screwed to the firewall.

I've been helping my brother build a 73 Camaro, the car was pretty much nothing when he got it, ground we installed on it, of course from battery to engine, engine to body, engine to frame. and a couple others. We have not driven the car much (still under construction). We have ZERO electrical problems

rockin78T/A · 10-10-2011, 11:08 PM

I've got the ground from the battery to the block, the ground from the back of the head to the fire wall., plus I added a ground braided cable from the back intake bolt to the fire wall. I've by passed the ignition swittch, and just run off the battery with a switch for the ignition, drove the car for a while without the tach hooked up, If I remember I think I started to burn up modulesafter I swtiched out the dash. The car runs and starts great if it's started and driven every day, but after a week or so with it sitting in the garage is where I get problems.

Grand73Am · 10-16-2011, 09:17 PM

Are you being sure to use the heat sink compound paste under the module?

rockin78T/A · 10-25-2011, 11:07 PM

yep, always put the grease on, tried thin and thick.

Alvin · 10-26-2011, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockin78T/A

...I think I started to burn up modulesafter I swtiched out the dash. The car runs and starts great if it's started and driven every day, but after a week or so with it sitting in the garage is where I get problems.

Positive Wire to Ground?

Suggestion: Perhaps you have a “hot” wire (positive) pinched to ground under your dash installation, distributor module hot wire (red) or in the engine compartment.

That would make sense that your battery is drained down and dead after a few days. Aka: Positive Wire to Ground.

bonneville Joe · 10-26-2011, 07:30 PM

A Pontiac distributor will sit in the block anywhere you want it to. The only thing that dictates where it sits is how the cam gear meshes with the dist gear and what position the oil pump shaft is in when the dist is dropped in. It's not keyed in anyway. You can manipulate the oil pump shaft with a flat screwdriver so the button will face where you need it to. With that said, as stated before a Pontiac fires at either straight up or 180* out as both #1 and #7 cylinder are at TDC at the same time. When you turn the balancer so the timing mark is at 0 you are firing on #1. The button should be at roughly 1 o'clock. As I stated before, the distributor itself will drop in anywhere. You can turn the oil pump shaft so it is turned so it will mate up with the dist gear. Make sure your vac advance won't hit the intake manifold. I've had this argument with many people. I do it all the time.

cnc · 10-26-2011, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonneville Joe

A Pontiac distributor will sit in the block anywhere you want it to. The only thing that dictates where it sits is how the cam gear meshes with the dist gear and what position the oil pump shaft is in when the dist is dropped in. It's not keyed in anyway. You can manipulate the oil pump shaft with a flat screwdriver so the button will face where you need it to. With that said, as stated before a Pontiac fires at either straight up or 180* out as both #1 and #7 cylinder are at TDC at the same time. When you turn the balancer so the timing mark is at 0 you are firing on #1. The button should be at roughly 1 o'clock. As I stated before, the distributor itself will drop in anywhere. You can turn the oil pump shaft so it is turned so it will mate up with the dist gear. Make sure your vac advance won't hit the intake manifold. I've had this argument with many people. I do it all the time.

Think u meant #1 and #6 at TDC the same time...

bonneville Joe · 10-27-2011, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnc

Think u meant #1 and #6 at TDC the same time...

You are correct sir! That's what I get for trying to explain something so soon after dinner lol..

FrankieT/A · 01-21-2012, 10:41 AM

When you line up the mark on the balancer to TDC it has to be on the compression stroke for number one cylinder

rockin78T/A · 02-17-2012, 01:10 AM

I moved the distribtor. Car has been fine until it got cold here. Had to charge the battery, ran great after the battery charged. Tried to Start her after a week of sitting, no fire. Instead of pulling the module again, I just wiggled around the wires tha connect to the module, put the cap back on, fired right up. So all this time, it seems to be a connection problem, but why does the car not die when driving it?

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