11:28 position for timing

[VintageRice]

Will someone PLEASE explain to me what it means to have the dizzy drive shaft in the 11:28 position.

 

I have searched and searched and all I ever see is "Make sure it's in the11:28 position. " But I have no idea what that means. I think I gotta check mine though, because I have to crank my dizzy all the way clockwise to get it to run decent.

 

 

BTW its an L18 w/L20b head and weber 32/36 carb and matchbox(just installed) dizzy. In a 70 510.

 

 

Thanks!! :D

[Skib]

11:28

 

 

its the direction the top of your dizzy shaft should be pointing

[Logical1]

11:28

 

 

its the direction the top of your dizzy shaft should be pointing

 

 

Hrmmm... I've only been telling time for about 28 years but 11:28 on a clock looks like this to me :P

 

Just bustin your balls Skib, I know what you mean ;)

[Skib]

meh close enough to get the idea

 

I view its as military direction, and not an actual clock

[datzenmike]

[Skib]

 

 

that ^^^

[nismo dr]

[DanielC]

And now to confuse the issue.

I recently put a matchbox distributer from a 1980 200-SX with a NAPS Z-20E engine ion an L-16.

With the distributer drive spindle at the "ideal" 11:28 position, my rotor was pointing about halfway between two of the spark plug towers. I ended up dropping my oil pump, and rotating the distributer drive spindle away from the 11:28 position,

I did not get the pedestal the distributer sits on, or the base plate that holds the distributer to the pedestal, that may have been the reason I had to deviate from 11:28.

 

Put your engine to the point you want it to fire. This is how I set up my L-16.

This picture shows a L-16 at TDC

This picture shows a L-16 about where you want it to fire.

And this picture shows the front two camshaft lobes at the number one position.

 

Turn the engine by hand clockwise, until the camshaft is in the position shown, as you approach TDC number 1 cylinder, but stop turning before you get there, at about 10 degrees before TDC. If you go too far, do not back up, go forward two turns, and stop at the right place.

 

Now, put your new distributer on the engine. If the rotor points to one of the spark plug towers on the distributer cap, and the pointy part of the wheel below the rotor lines up with the pointy parts on the ring outside of it, your engine should start and run. Number one cylinder may not be in the same place on the cap you were before you did the distributer swap.

[datsunhead]

11:28?...am or pm

[HRH]

There are two ways you can get around that. I suggest not moving the drive spindle as it's a bitch to get timed if you ever have to take it out. Of course, you can put a punch mark of your own in the spindle. Anyway, there's also the fine adjustment on the bottom of the distributor, you can move that to get the rotor closer to the spark plug tower.

 

You can also re-index the distributor. That's what I have in my 510 right now for clearance around the intake boot. There are some distributors that fit different arrangements. Almost think the drive tang on a matchbox from an A-series is offset different than the Ls.

 

You can also enlarge the regular distributor mounting plate so you have much more adjustment. I suggest a dremel tool for this operation.

[VintageRice]

Ok, was wondering if it was a "O'clock" reference. But it seems very un-technical to me. I guess because it all depends where your standing and looking at the shaft really since theres no reference point of 12 o'clock really.

 

Also, in Logical1's picture of the clock it would make alot more sense for it to be called 11:27, that is unless your "dizzy tang" (sounds funny) were bent. :P

 

tanks for clearing this up guys. I need to go buy a timing light that works. ALSO this thread made me realize which of those timing notches in the crank was the TDC mark.

 

 

Thanks again!!

[VintageRice]

 

You can also enlarge the regular distributor mounting plate so you have much more adjustment. I suggest a dremel tool for this operation.

 

 

That was going to be my next step if I couldn't get the degree of adjustment I need. Thanks.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Daniel C

did not get the pedestal the distributer sits on, or the base plate that holds the distributer to the pedestal, that may have been the reason I had to deviate from 11:28.

 

correct it should be a matching set. People need to take the dizzy from the front cover. also the coil from that vehicle also. everything matches per spec.

 

 

 

 

VintageRice

Just made for you! al there is a 8mm bolt under the dizzy where you can loosen the timiing plate to get it more to one side in the direction you need to go.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8EF51386855F2B58

[DanielC]

Banzi510 is correct. The distributer I got had no pedestal, or plate. So I had to modify some of the extra L-16 parts I had.

But on the other hand, I bought the matchbox distributer from Slodat, and he actually delivered it to my house, for a price slightly less than I have been seeing for matchbox distributers lately.

[banzai510(hainz)]

there were 2 types Matchboxes so 2 mounts avail. If one type of Matchbox has the wrong mount the ROTOR will point between plugs 1 &3 at TDC.

[VintageRice]

Daniel C

did not get the pedestal the distributer sits on, or the base plate that holds the distributer to the pedestal, that may have been the reason I had to deviate from 11:28.

 

correct it should be a matching set. People need to take the dizzy from the front cover. also the coil from that vehicle also. everything matches per spec.

 

 

 

 

VintageRice

Just made for you! al there is a 8mm bolt under the dizzy where you can loosen the timiing plate to get it more to one side in the direction you need to go.

http://www.youtube.c...EF51386855F2B58

 

I know theres two adjuster bolts. I'm not THAT dense. :) I have them both maxed out. I'm just going by ear right now cause my timing light is broke. I think after checking again last night I might have the adjustment that I need. It's just running better at full advance.

 

I'm doing a compression check and valve lash today hopefully.

 

Thanks again people!

[VintageRice]

BTW how many degrees is each notch in the crank?

[banzai510(hainz)]

http://www.olddatsuns.com/620tech2.htm#TM

[DanielC]

This is how I timed my L-16 engine without the correct pedestal, or having the proper plate.

First thing I did was pull the cam cover, to confirm number one cylinder was at the firing position. Both can lobes up, one at about 10:00, the other at about 2:00. Like this.

I set the engine about 12.5 degrees before TDC.

This is what the inside of the distributor looks like when is is firing.

 

I had the rotor pointing almost exactly between two plug wire towers on the distributer cap, and the pointy things inside the distributer were about as far apart as they could be. There is not enough adjustment in the plate to account for that.

 

I had to remove the oil pump, and turn the drive on the oil pump counterclockwise about two teeth. My distributer drive ended up looking like this with the engine at TDC, NOT FIRING.

 

Here is what the distributer looks like at TDC.

This picture was taken at a wacky angle, leaning over the engine. Notice the teeth on the four point star are already past the teeth on the stationary part of the pick up inside the distributer.

 

The drive gear on the oil pump spindle has 20 teeth on it. You can "adjust" the position of the distributer rotor in 18 degree increments. (360 degrees / 20 teeth) Once you get the distributer rotor within 18 degrees of where you want it, you can use the adjustment in the two bolts, with the slots, in the distributer mount plate.

 

I also did not get the plate with my matchbox distributer. I had to modify my plate by cutting it, and adding a little extra material to move the slot for the smaller bolt out from center a bit.

Here is a picture of a stock plate, and my modified plate

It is hard to see the difference, here is the stock l-16 plate on top of the modded one.

 

Here is where my number one plug wire ended up at, with the matchbox distributer from a NAPS-Z-20-E, on a L-16 engine, and L-16 pedestal.

and this is a stock L-16 with a point distributer.

[banzai510(hainz)]

DaneilC

You dont need to take the valve cover off. Just open the oil cap and dial the crank up to zero. and as you dial up to zero youll see the lobe approche the 10oclock position and youl know your on TDC. Thn install as you have done. Maybe ck the cam timming thru the sprocket while having the cover off. saves where and tear on valve cover gasket.

 

make sure your use a EI coil with that matchbox. Ricky was using a point coil and overheating the stock POINT coil.

[VintageRice]

http://www.olddatsun...620tech2.htm#TM

 

 

:thumbup: