How to move one tooth ???

[StephenP]

Trying to set my timing I find that the TFI module bumps the hose clamp on the thermostat housing at 9*. I was going to turn the hose clamp but one of the smart people here said - sounds like your distributor is one tooth off.

That makes sense, move it a tooth and then the TFI would be pointed over towards the driver's side a bit rather than almost straight out the front.

The question is how to do it. What steps to do to make sure it is only one tooth, what direction to turn the rotor, how high to list the distributor - all those things. Suggestions and ideas welcome

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[dsboone]

Last time I moved a distributor, it was a pretty much go by feel kind of thing.

I removed the dist hold-down completely. Remove the cap so your hand is on the rotor. Slowly wiggle and raise the entire dist up. The rotor will rotate as you raise it up due to the helical cut drive gear. Apply light force to the rotor in the direction you need to "jump a tooth" and feel for it. Then reseat your dist (may have to rotate the crank to get the oil pump drive to re-align and then seat the dist) and reinstall the hold-down. Place the #1 piston at TDC, set the dist so the #1 plug tower is over the rotor when the cap is re-installed. Start it up and time it.
I have done this on 2.3L, 2.8L, 140ci, 302ci, 350ci, 396cu, 400ci, and 454ci engines. You can feel that one tooth slip over.

[JAM1775]

A good idea is to always make clear and accurate markings before any move is made. Then, in case you are not liking where you land you can always push the reset button.

[hind sight]

Steven, once you remove the clamp,wiggle the dist. back and forth a few times to lossen up the seal from the o ring. Slowly raise the dist while at same time lightly wiggling the rotor. As dist comes up out of the block(couple inches) you not feel anymore resistence on the rotor. This indicates the gear on cam and dist. are disengaged. Rotate the rotor about 1/8" or slightly more. Thats about the spaceing on the teeth of the gears. If doing it slow enough while wiggleing the rotor you can feel the moment the gears no longer touch and while holding very slight downward pressure on dist you can almost feel it walk over to the next tooth. Once you feel this drop it back continueing to wiggle the rotor as it will realign the oil pump shaft.Remember-if dist. will not drop in the last 1/4" or so it is because pump shaft is not aligned to dist base. As long as gears are started to mesh you can by hand rotate engine a little till shaft engases as it will not effect the timing since gears are already meshing. Keep an eye on where the rotor is pointing as it disengages the teeth. This will help give a indication on how far to turn before it engages next tooth and also where to align if wanting to go back.
Put engine at tdc before starting this proceedure. Not that it "has" to be there, it just keeps things in order as far as a reference point. Not hard at all as you will see once you start.

[hind sight]

you know there is an easyer way depending on how much room you have. If enough clearence to rotate dist 1/8 of a turn. Just move #1 plug wire on the cap one terminal over making that terminal the number one on cap and rotate each wire the same direction of rotation 1 term. This will allow you to turn the dist without removing it from block.
Example. When motor is at tdc and #1 wire is at 1 o clock position,move it to the 2 o clock position along with moving all other wires one terminal in same direction.Next rotate dist so wire on cap is faceing the rotor. Set timing and be done.

[Rickster]

Unless I'm missing something, you should be able to just make a mark on the ditributor housing were the rotor is pointing. then remove the clamp, pull the dist out and rotate a tooth or 2 in the desired direction, realign the distributor mark to the rotor clamp and re-time the engine...?

[Jim_Miller]

Hind Sight has the right idea; it’s for the most part irrelevant what actual tooth the gear meshes in. It’s all about clearance for the TFI Module. Just Jump the wires one tower, turn the distributor accordingly and re-time.

[Mustang Man]

Everyone has their own way of doing things, but I like to think about "down the road", be it myself, or even a future owner. This is why I label relays and draw up wiring diagrams when I do custom work. Moving the plug wires over one terminal will get you the room, yes, but down the road if you or someone else is working on the engine and you are fighting a miss or someother possible ignition related problem having the wires moved (remember, 98% of the distributor caps are embossed with a "1" or your engine builder put a "1" with a sharpie on the cap) will only add to the confusion. You can lift the distributor and move it one tooth in less time than it would take to pop each wire off and move it over one terminal.

Do it the right way and you won't be scratching your head later...

HTH...
Mark

[hind sight]

Mark brings up a good point about dist. being in stock position. I'm useing HEI dist. #1 is off one place from where normaly located if looking in a repair manual. Have no problem with this as no one will ever work on car while it own by me,plus what ford mech has seen HEI in a non GM engine? But as mentioned I mark/label both ends of plug wires for ease of install whenever they are removed such as a header change. Either medthod works, use whatever is most comfortable. Not knowing how much clearence is avalible around dist. housing you need to make the call. Barring room to move dist. any term can be your #1

[dwheeler]

My trick is to just duct tape the rotor to the distributor and give it a turn as you pull it out. Then rotate it a bit, slide it in while twisting it back in. The book says the TFI connection should be about at a 45 degree angle when in the proper position.

[narve00]

With EFI, keeping the #1 cylinder on the #1 marked on the cap yields the best running. Moving the wires one step throws off the injector timing.

It's not a critical running point, but you might as well take advantage of the EFI.

[StephenP]

All done - Thanks to all.

Set to TDC according to timing marks.
Took out the hold down,
Took cap off and worked the dist back and fortha just a bit.

Lifted whole thing very gently with finger on the rotor. Cleared the gear by feel, and slide it back into place. Put the hold down in and then set the timing.

Timing is looking good and the TFI is now at the right angle.

Thanks to all
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[hind sight]

Steve good to hear all went well. Betting you will feel a performance increase noe that timing can be advanced to where it should be. Hard to discribe but it really is kinda of easy to actually feel the tooth bump over to the next when going slowlly.