duraspark II woes

I picked up a used DSII from another user on fordsix and recurved it. Today I pulled out my my DSI (lined it up at 6'oclock first) and tried and tried to stab the DSII into my engine but could not get the rotor to line up at 6'oclock no matter how many times I tried. I could get it in approximately 1/2 off either way but not dead on. What do I do about this?

Since I could not get it right I pulled it out and examined it thoroughly. The drive gear is quite worn. So, I drove out the pin holding the gear to the shaft and tried to pull it off, but it won't budge. What is the best way to remove it?

Thanks guys.
Michael

Pointing the rotor back to the same spot only really works for sure when you are re installing the same dizzy without moving the engine. Exactly where the rotor is pointed is not critical. What is critical is which terminal on the cap its pointed to and which spark plug that wire is hooked to.

I have never tried to get the gear off a Ford, not sure if there is something unusual there or not.

I just went through swapping a gear.
You could buy the correct puller, but finding one might be difficult or expensive.
You could put the thing upside down in a vice and hammer on the shaft, but I wouldn't. :smash:
I was able to get the gear off (crappy 2 jaw puller), but installing the new one is rather difficult to line up, and and I ended up breaking a brand new gear trying to remove it because I didn't get it lined up perfectly with the pin-hole. You could install the gear 90 degrees and drill a new hole. If you have a drill press and stuff. And that new gear I could not remove, so I went to a machine shop. It took them a bit of time to set up their tools about 45 minutes from the time I walked in the door. I was just expecting to leave it there and pick it up but it was at the end of the day and things were slow. Anyhoo, after they finished asked how much? He says $10! I say charge me for real because I have only a credit card no cash, he says forget it. I have had my engine built there and will again so... 8)

So go to a machine shop, and take the oil pump drive shaft as well it may be needed as per the instructions with the gears from Mike.

You need a press to be safe , NEVER USE A HAMMER !!, Heating the gear with a PROPANE torch helps , the spacing from the base seat to the end of the gear IS VERY IMPORTANT , many woes have been blamede on Thick Oil and HV Pumps when the real culprit was , Incorect gear placment ( Ive been rebuilding and TRUE Recurving for 30+ Years , its more than ad a spring and bend a Tab , I offer this service at my Shop , You only need to get the rotor Lined up , just bump the engine over and it will drop in , turn the motor over a complete turn and check , if off try again , usually it takes a try or two , once it drops down slightly bumping it over alows the Oil pump drive to line up ( the first drop engages the gear) just keep in the gear is on a helix so compensate for the additional movement , be patient .

8) when ford installed the distributor gears, they were pressed on, and then the hole for the roll pin was drilled. they are not always lined up gear to gear. what you do is press the old gear off, press the new gear on and then drill the new hole for the roll pin. sometimes you get lucky and you can line up the holes. either way this is best done by a machine shop unless you have a press and a drill press.

Michael, the location of the gear is very important.
Distributor shaft end-play should be between .022 to .033 of an inch. The factory service manual also states the gear location to be 2.510-2.515' from the mounting flange.
That measurement is from the distributor mounting flange to the contact surface at the bottom of the gear where it bottoms out on the block. Falcon Man

I know you've already removed the gear, but in my opinion, I never worry about where I stab the dizzy. I put it in, line up the engine to be TDC on #1 on the compression stroke. I put the rotor on and use a thin piece of wire to extend that line that it points to. After that, I put the cap loosely on (usually only attaching one clip to the cap) and rotate it until I come close to the wire lining up with a wire post. Then I go from there.

I found it much easier than trying to line up the dizzy exactly the same way, especially with as mentioned above, it's a pressed on fitting with no standard key that makes the gears exactly in the same spot from dizzy to dizzy.

Thanks everyone for your responses. In hind site, yes I should have taken it to someone with a press and a puller...but I didn't. I borrowed a puller from Autozone and managed to get the gears off. I measured the distance that the gear was from the bottom on the DS1 and put the DS1 gear on the DS2 at the same location. Did the holes line up...of course not! So, I turned the gear 90 degrees on the shaft and drilled a new hole using the original hole in the gear as my guide. I don't suggest doing this without a drillpress..but I did it and it worked!

I dropped the dizzy in and the rotor lined up real close to 6 o'clock, but not exact. I then hooked everything back up and tried to crank it over. It took awhile to get it started and boy it ran like shit! So, I got out my vacuum gauge and tried to set the timing and idle setting on the carb. I got it running OK then took it for a drive around the block, it ran terrible. I brought it home and turned it off. I then realized that I still have the DS1 module in the car. Could this be the problem, or is it a matter of it not being TDC?

I attempted to install a D2 module previously, here is the topic. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=59481
And that did not work out. I think I will get a GM HEI module and try that next. Any ideas are appeciated. If I would have known this would have been such a PITA I would have never started this project. The classicinlines article (http://classicinlines.com/DSIIswap2.asp) makes it seem like a quick project...live and learn

CobraSix":5jpkfdyx said:

I put the rotor on and use a thin piece of wire to extend that line that it points to. After that, I put the cap loosely on (usually only attaching one clip to the cap) and rotate it until I come close to the wire lining up with a wire post.

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: I'm having a little trouble visualizing this, but I'd like to, so could you explain further?
You put a wire on what, and then put on the cap?

I think you're just missing something simple. Double check that when #1 is TDC, timing mark matches TDC, rotor is pointing to #1 plug wire. Could be as simple as restabbing the dizzy or moving the plug wires one position. I have known to get the plug wires in the wrong order on occasion. The fact that it fires and runs means you're close.

Thanks for the encouragement Explorer. I'm wondering if having the DS1 module on there with the DS2 dizzy is the problem? What do you think?

Explorer":22bzhcda said:

I think you're just missing something simple. Double check that when #1 is TDC, timing mark matches TDC, rotor is pointing to #1 plug wire. Could be as simple as restabbing the dizzy or moving the plug wires one position. I have known to get the plug wires in the wrong order on occasion. The fact that it fires and runs means you're close.

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I don't see any problem with the DS1 module. I could be wrong. You are disconnecting the vacuum line at carb and plugging the port when timing and tuning it, right? Also no mention of using a timing light. What is your initial timing set at? Hard to trouble shoot 4000 miles away. If you were closer I'd come help. Plus the fact I can do something easier than I can explain it.

I decided to pull the dizzy out and make sure I had it in TDC. Well, lucky I did. I found out that I bent the top part of the shaft slightly when putting the gear on. So, now the rotor does not seat all the way down and was scrapping the cap. So, I am now getting a rebuilt DS2 in a day or two which I will recurve and drop in. What can I say, it takes a few mistakes to get it right the first time you do something...right?

Possible silly question. Here goes: everyone I have seen who has done the recurve (http://classicinlines.com/DSIIswap2.asp) has a 200 I6. Does it make any difference that my car is a 250 I6? Would the recurve be the same?

michael_cini":27pnhupz said:

Possible silly question. Here goes: everyone I have seen who has done the recurve (http://classicinlines.com/DSIIswap2.asp) has a 200 I6. Does it make any difference that my car is a 250 I6? Would the recurve be the same?

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8) while the ignition curves will be similar, you may want to experiment some depending on your combination. some engines like the advance curve to come on quicker others slower.

Rookie question. I found TDC by pulling the 1st spark plug, putting my thumb over the hole. Had the wife turn the key until I felt the pressure. I then stabbed the dizzy and plugged all the wires back in. Attempted to start the car, but it wouldn't kick over. All it did was fart a few times and backfire once. I assume that I have the dizzy in a tooth off, correct? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

Oh yeah hoo boy did I just go through a week of heck trying to get mine set up correctly.
Finally went over to my bud's and took a picture.
This is what his looks like with 8 degrees of timing.
And the engine wasn't quite at TDC, it was a few degrees early. About 8.
It took me a few more stabs at it before I got it right, so don't get frustrated if it takes a few tries.

And I highly recommend a remote starter switch, it will make your life much easier.

Thanks Jackfish. I guess I will take another stab at it tomorrow Yeah, a remote starter would be great. A mechanic I know has one he made, but do they sell them?

michael_cini":1r19su2k said:

Yeah, a remote starter would be great. A mechanic I know has one he made, but do they sell them?

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MC, Kragen sells them, 50% off.