timing, ditributor questions

not thinking or knowing better, i pulled the ditributor without marking it when i replaced the timing cover. also not knowing better i rotated the engine away from top dead center after i've already got the head and oil pan and everything installed. what's my best course of action here? do i need to just go ahead and pull the head to get it right before installing the distributor? i searched and found a post by JMOR about installing a distributor that wasn't marked, i was going to follow it to install the dist but any suggestions are welcome.

" do i need to just go ahead and pull the head to get it right before installing the distributor?"

No.

But before we go any further.........and I make an incorrect assumption based upon insufficient information.....is this a front or side distributor?
50 Tips

oh yeah forgot that part it's a side distributor

Remove the #1 spark plug. (removing all of them makes the job a bit easier) Ignition off, place your thumb over the #1 spark plug hole and crank slowly until compression is felt. Continue to crank the engine until you see the timing mark, 0* (top dead center) on the flywheel through the timing hole in the right side of the bell housing. Use chalk on the flywheel to exactly align the 4 degree mark with the pointer. Hold the distributor beside the engine. W/ the distributor oiler at the 7 o’clock position & the stud at 9 o’clock, turn the rotor until it points roughly at the right front head bolt. (close counts) Now insert the distributor. Rotate the distributor housing counter clockwise until the points are closed. Put the cap on & double check the plug wires, 1-2-4-3, CCW. Then, remove the primary wire from the side of the distributor (or at the coil, whichever is easier) Put one lead of your VOM (set on resistance) on the stud on the side of the distributor & the other on the block or other good ground. Slowly turn the distributor. The needle will move as the points close & then open. Find the exact spot just as the points open & then tighten down the distributor.

Now check your work (and the dynamic timing) w/ a light.

If it won't idle below 500 rpm (400 is better) don't bother w/ a light.

If it idles ok, make 3 marks w/ chalk or white paint on the flywheel:

4*
10*
17*

Start the engine.

At idle, the light should flash & the marker should line up exactly at 4* if you did the static timing correctly.

If not, loosen the distributor & turn it until the marks line up. It should take very little adjustment.

Once you've got that done, increase the engine speed to 1200 rpms. The light should flash & the marker should line up w/ the 10* mark. Then, increase the rpms to 2000 & look for the marker to align w/ the 17* mark.

Close counts on the advanced timing. A degree or 2 either way is ok. But, no movement or 5* or more off means you have an advance weight problem. You don't adjust the distributor to fix that.
50 Tips

thanks for the quick reply. i don't ask a question without searching the archive first, but your answer was much easier to understand than the others i found. by the way, the timing cover i pulled off a tractor at the tractor junkyard is aluminum and my original was cast. is the aluminum one a replacement, or were some of them aluminum from the factory?

the timing cover i pulled off a tractor at the tractor junkyard is aluminum and my original was cast. is the aluminum one a replacement, or were some of them aluminum from the factory?

Click to expand...

As far as I know all original side mount distributor timing covers are made of aluminum. I have seen some replacements that were cast though. The timing cover that you took off is most likely a replacement.