at wits end

[Mark Maras]

 IMO, Ignore the marks and rotate it until the tang is correct.

[sweatybetty]

3 hours ago, Zpat said:

Sorry to be so late to this party but this thread is very relevant as I recently pulled my distributor on my '72 240 and my oil pump shafts tang is in the exact 1:00 position as your original picture even though by all measurements I am at TDC (pistons at top, cam gear v notch lining up with thrust plate dash, cam lobes where they should be etc). I believe the gear oil pump shaft moved/slipped when I pulled my distributer. Could you give a quick outline of how you moved the tang back to the 11:30 position?

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i finally got it where it is supposed to be, and it fired right up. line up the marks as shown, turn the shaft a little clockwise?, then push it up in there. tighten one bolt finger tight and the take a look. it may take a few tries (you will be an expert shortly) but it will eventually go. very aggravating

 

[Zpat]

Thanks all, sounds like just twist, turn, shove. If not correct, repeat until correct. Just wanted some direction as a chill went down my back when I saw sweatybettys first picture when the tang was at 1:00, identical to mine and hearing his earlier problems. I'm sure I will come back to the well if I have any problems. Happy motoring...

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[sweatybetty]

i have narrowed my problem down to 2 cylinders mis-firing which Zed led me to.

[sweatybetty]

the car is running now. i have put my timing light on every wire, and the light will work on all but # 1 & 3. i have switched wires around but no difference. new cap and rotor, no difference. i tried pulling #1 wire off the plug, and get a great spark to ground. im going to try new plugs tomorrow, any recommendations?

thanks all    sb

[240260280]

Seems like it would be the distributor that has a problem.  Wobble, bad points gap w worn cam?

[sweatybetty]

54 minutes ago, 240260280 said:

Seems like it would be the distributor that has a problem.  Wobble, bad points gap w worn cam?

the distributor feels tight, no wobble that i can feel. im running pertronix ignition, so no points. i have turned the magnets several times with no difference

[Zed Head]

I've seen it proposed but haven't actually seen it - bad grounding of the spark plug body and threads to the head.  Several ways to test it or fix it, from vigorous cleaning of the threads to running a dedicated ground wire from the plug body to ground, or jamming a screwdriver between the plug and head.  You get the idea.  Seems far-fetched but fits the symptoms.

[sweatybetty]

im thinking along those lines also. ill try the ground wire.

[240260280]

Maybe electronics are set for 4 cylinder rather than 6?

[sweatybetty]

5 hours ago, 240260280 said:

Maybe electronics are set for 4 cylinder rather than 6?

there is nothing to set. pertronix ignition and factory tach.

[Patcon]

12 hours ago, Zed Head said:

 Seems far-fetched but fits the symptoms.

Bad ground occurred to me too. It does seem far fetched but who knows...

Wires, cap & rotor don't change it, so: plugs or distributor/pertronix