70 Ls5 Help!

[vdaviemusclecars]

my 70 chevelle bone stock LS5 4 speed just got dropped off. The problem is the dist came loose and now the car is out of timing and won't start. No timing light and i just need to move it 200 yards to my garage. What is a quick and easy way to get this done?

thanks,
vince

[vintageracer]

Did the distributor come loose as in bolt loose and the distributor will turn or is distributor out? If just loose, rotate distributor clockwise by moving the distibutor vacuum cannister towards the firewall. This will retard the timing. Try and set the distributor in the middle of the rotation. Try to start. The more counter clockwise you turn the distributor, the more timing you will add. At some point the engine will probably be hard to turnover. Back of the timing clockwise at that point. You should be able to start it somewhere in that range or rotation.

If the distributor is still in and you want to really check it position, pull #1 spark plug and run piston up till you have pressure pushing your finger out of the spark plug hole and the timing mark on balancer at 0 on timing tab. Remove the distributor cap and look at where the rotor tip points. It should be pointing at the spot on the distributor for #1 spark plug wire. If rotor button tip points exactly opposite of #1, rotate the engine 180 degrees as you are on the exhaust stroke of the engine instead of the compression stroke and look at it again. Move the distributor housing to make the #1 spark plug terminal line up with rotor button point. This should make your VERY close.

After that, you may wish to check the dwell with a meter if the car still has points. Hook up the + lead on the meter to the negative side of the coil and the ground terminal to ground. Try to start the car and see if the dwell is close to 30 degrees. You can also use a feeler guage in the points to set the gap. Use 16-18 thousandths to start. That should get you to about 30 degrees with a meter. Remember, you can adjust the points with the car running on a Chevy with an allen wrench through the distributor cap port.

I'd say all you need to do is rotate the distributor housing to get the car to start.

[vdaviemusclecars]

Thanks for the email. Standing in front of the car, where is no#1

vince

[vintageracer]

#1 cylinder (spark plug) is front spark plug on the drivers side. Front as in closest to the front/radiator of the car and drivers side/left side of car when sitting in the driver's seat.

Cylinders/spark plugs are numbered 1/3/5/7 on the driver's side and 2/4/6/8 on the passenger side. This is starting at the front of the engine and moving towards the rear of the engine.

The firing order is 1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2. This is listed on the intake maniflod ususally in front of the carb if the intake is still a GM intake.

To determine where #1 post is on the distributor, just follow the spark plug wire from #1 cylinder to the distributor cap. The firing order will be clockwise from #1. Just follow the spark plug wire next to #1 on the distributor to see if it goes to #8 cylinder which is the rear/last spark plug on the passenger's side of the engine to give you a perspective.

[vdaviemusclecars]

Mike,

one more question..the vacum advance tube on the dist in not going to anything..is that ok?

v

[vintageracer]

Not really, but for this discussion to get the car running this is not an issue. Just make sure that there are no open vacuum ports on the intake/carb that could cause a vacuum leak.