Well I'll be darned...

[mysavioreigns]

If some of you remember, I never could get my new Duraspark distributor to go into the block. I spent days twisting this and turning that, and still, nothing. So, I removed the gear and was going to switch it with the old Load-O gear, because I knew that fit. Well, I spent another week trying to get that gear off, with no luck. I broke 2 gear pullers, and no machine shop in the area would help.

So, I "gave up" and put the other gear back on, and sure enough, BAM, it went in without a hitch. :roll:

I finished up wiring it this morning, and tried to start it. I know the duraspark's cap is a little different, as there is no "#1 spot" - it's just where ever you put it. So, I looked at how I had the old one (about to hit cyl #1), and I wired it up like that. I know it's probably not exactly at the same spot I had it as, but it's pretty close. Any ideas on why it wouldn't fire? I assume it's a timing issue.

Let me know though if I'm correct, there is no "#1 spot". I will tinker around with it some more tonight and see why it's not turning over.

 

[Mercury Mike]

Make sure that the engine is at top dead center on the compression stroke, and then drop it in with the rotor pointing towards the plug tower that you have connected to the #1 spark plug. Don't worry, it'll fire.

 

[cobraguy]

Pull the #1 plug out and stuff some wadded up paper in the hole. Bump the starter until the wad pops put. Then turn the engine by hand until the timing marl is at TDC. With the dizzy in the rotor turns clockwise and #1 post is just past the cap clip on the vacuum advance side of it. I installed mine with the advance poiting at about 4-5 o'clock. This will give you plenty of swing for timing adjustment without dipstick interference. With the DS2 you'll want to regap the plugs to .050ish.

 

[mysavioreigns]

oh ...smack... I forgot about the 12V switched thing. I just put the old one back on there. I guess I need to fix that by putting it on a 12V switched line. Would that cause it not to start?

 

[Mercury Mike]

What do you mean switched thing...? It will run on 6v through the resistor wire, just not to full capacity.

 

[fordconvert]

I dont like the idea of a wad of paper, i guess if it did end up inside it would burn up or get passed out without much if any damage to the motor. The way I wired mine I can pull a fuse and run through the ballast resistor and I cant tell the difference so like Wihelmus said it should run like that.

As long as you did not turn the motor with the dizzy out if the rotor was pointing at #1 when you took it apart doing the new one would be the same. It would be the same if it was pointed at #5 you just need to have it going to 5 on the new one also. If you did turn the motor thats when most people revert to the #1 thing because you should then have the timing marks to help to confirm you are in the right place, or at least 180* out which is when the thing about finding which is the compression stroke come in.