Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

before i cut and make these wires, can someone show me where on the distributor cap each wire goes.

i see it in the electrical section of the service manual, but i just want to make sure.

all i have to go by is the wires coming from the distributor body...then i go in relation to that to figure out where number 1, 2, 3, etc go on the cap.

can someone get me a pic of a v8 distributor with them labeled on the image?

hate to cut my 440 wire and get it wrong.

thanks

Hank

Looking at the distributor cap from top down, your firing order goes CCW around the towers: 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.

The cap is indexed to the distributor housing by a notch/tab arrangement. IIRC, #1 goes to the first tower CCW from that.

It also depends on where you wind up in positioning the distributor. If you follow the directions in SM to position the rotor, then in fig 24 of electrical section, #1 will be toward the R rear corner of engine. If you are a tooth or two off with the gear, then obviously #1 will be moved slightly from that general area and may be off from the notch. Once #1 is located then just follow the firing order CCW and position the remaining wires.

thanks for the responses guys.

this is what i did. i located the wires coming from the distributor like it was pictured in the electrical diagram in the back of the electrical section. then in relation to that....#1 was opposite of that...so back right towards firewall like HH says. then i went around. so i think i'm good to go, i just never dealt with this before.

i'm a coil on plug person and i've never had to rebuild anything like this from the ground up before.

i'll double check my firing order per what is on the manifold vs what i have on the dizzy.

thanks for the help again guys.

Hank

Hank: the distributor is driven by a gear so the shaft and rotor could be in as many different positions as there are teeth on the gear. So it's probably not a good assumption to assume that the position of #1 wire will be as shown in the shop manual. The best way to insure correct wiring is to go back to basics; pull #1 plug and rotate the engine until you feel compression building in cylinder #1. Stop engine rotation at the timing mark and then note the position of the rotor tip - and that's where #1 wire should be positioned, thence just around the cap in the firing order.

Owen, as usual, is correct. When I rebuilt my oil pump on my 51 tried reinstalling it, I could not get the teeth to mesh correctly. My old mechanic buddy told me to pull the distributor out, bolt up the oil pump. Then reinstall the distributor - it can only go in two ways. Leaving the dist. cap off, crank the engine with the number one plug out. Put your thumb over the plug hole and when it puffs up, the rotor should be at number one. Note - it can be 180 degrees out, so check to see if the timing marks are roughly lined up. Note where the rotor is pointing - this is number one. Then reinstall the plug wires in the cap in the correct firing order. This trick actually works. Shame that it took me over 50 years to learn it!

Owen Dyneto just gave you the only method you should use, pictures don't mean anything.

Thanks guys. Stepped back and read the engine section again. Helped me understand what you guys are talking about. 6 degree on HB and rotor at 30 degrees back right facing. That should be plug one. Or like David said just hold my thumb over #1 and then the rotor is at 1 on the cap. My cam was modified but my dad said that won't change my timing marks and I still go by the manual. Sorry for my novice mess.

Hank, just remember that the crankshaft must make 2 full revolutions for the distributor to make one revolution, so when you put the balancer on the timing mark, there are two possible piston positions, one with the piston up on the exhaust stroke, and the other on the compression stroke. You must note the position of the rotor when the you're on the compression stroke!! Otherwise all your wires will be incorrect by 180 deg.

Thanks man, I was reading about 180 degrees out last night. Appreciate the warning!!