Continuation of an ongoing story...
TO-30 died while running. Found distributor sticking up from block about two inches. Internal nut on spring-loaded spark-advance plate had come loose and become wedged under plate. Distributor was locked up solid. Cam follower gear had kicked the distributor 'up' from the block and bent the distributor shaft clamp into an 'S' shape.
R&R and ready to reinstall into tractor. Note had to file rivet head off (and replace with roll pin) to take gear off shaft to get shaft out of body.
Whether by luck or the phase of the moon this process worked for us:
--Pulled #1 plug.
--Rotated engine by hand to confirm compression stroke.
--Matched TDC #1 compression stroke to flywheel 6-degrees.
--Aligned distributor rotor to #1 position based on keyed cap and plug wire traced back to #1 cylinder.
--Carefully replaced distributor into block and reinstalled cap.
--Tightened distributor clamp.
--Reinstalled #1 plug and plug wires.
I was as surprised as you are that it lit off with about a half-spin of the engine.
Finished setting timing using timing light. Very little change.
TO-30 died while running. Found distributor sticking up from block about two inches. Internal nut on spring-loaded spark-advance plate had come loose and become wedged under plate. Distributor was locked up solid. Cam follower gear had kicked the distributor 'up' from the block and bent the distributor shaft clamp into an 'S' shape.
R&R and ready to reinstall into tractor. Note had to file rivet head off (and replace with roll pin) to take gear off shaft to get shaft out of body.
Whether by luck or the phase of the moon this process worked for us:
--Pulled #1 plug.
--Rotated engine by hand to confirm compression stroke.
--Matched TDC #1 compression stroke to flywheel 6-degrees.
--Aligned distributor rotor to #1 position based on keyed cap and plug wire traced back to #1 cylinder.
--Carefully replaced distributor into block and reinstalled cap.
--Tightened distributor clamp.
--Reinstalled #1 plug and plug wires.
I was as surprised as you are that it lit off with about a half-spin of the engine.
Finished setting timing using timing light. Very little change.
