Changing spark plug wire and dist csp.Alll the wires came out of the cap #1 is closest to the firewall.I think to follow the firing order clock wise is the correct thing to do–? Correct.Jagxk140
Anti clockwise is the direction the rotor takes.
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Someone posted this on the XK engine forum the other day.
Hopefully you took note of which wire location on the cap was #1.
If not, we may have to walk you through the steps.
It should be noted that it is possible to set up the distributor in a number of ways.
For instance, the upper shaft (holding the rotor) can be installed on the lower shaft (holding the weights) in two ways. The body can be positioned in the block through a large angle (more than 60 degrees) and the wires shifted around.
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THANKS AS USUAL.I think I can put the wires back with the diagram.I have better sense than to pull the distribitor after running it thru the wall messing with the voltage regulator.
Pretty much as suspected.Reconnecteed wires per diagram.New dist cap,wires and plugs since it was missing.Used to miss but when warmed up it stopped. Now wont start,coil is hot,only backfires which never did before.Im gonna need additional advice.
Can you turn the crankshaft until the timing mark arrow on the flywheel is showing through the hole in the bell housing? That is Top Dead Center. #1 & 6 pistons will be at the top.
Now look through the oil fill cap hole to see if the front cam is just about to touch the exhaust valve bucket, or if it is nowhere near it.
If the cam is very close to the valve bucket, #1 rear is about to fire.
If it is nowhere near it, #6 front is about to fire.
Now take off the distributor cap and see where the rotor is pointing.
It should be pointing at the one that is about to fire.
If not, rotate all the plug wires around 180 degrees.
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Thats gonna be a load but will work on it.Thanks
Could I just assume things arentnright and rotate 180 andnsee whatnhappens
Yes, if it ran before, that could be right, and anyway won’t make it any worse.
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OK was able to turn the flywheel with the fan with great trepidation managing not to break a blade.Cam lobe just touching port,roter pointing to 1.So Im attaching spark wires per diagram with 1 at 11 oclock.So everything should work and Im getting heat to the plugs.Im also getting a bourbon to help thru the trauma.Will send results,thanx as usual.CD
No fire now…,reconnected.Am going to old dist cap hate to do the flywheel bit.Anyhow thats the plan,bourbon clearly in play
APPEARS THE COIL (2 coils) not putting out
Check the wiring to the coil. Do you have a test light bulb with 2 wires on it?
There should be a white wire to the SW or minus side. Try a test bulb connecting to that terminal and ground. With the key on that bulb should light up.
The other side of the coil CB or plus should have a white/black wire going to the side of the distributor. Connect your test bulb with one wire on the SW and one wire on the CB. When you crank the engine this bulb should go on and off, on and off as you crank it.
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Here are photos of my engine at TDC with cam gauge in place. As you can see #6 (front) is ready to fire as both valves are closed. #1 (rear) intake valve is ready to open. The dizzy rotor is pointing to the #6 HT ignition wire.
Here is a view through the oil fill. As with Pat’s, the cam is pointed up and away from the valve bucket.
Coil is now working.Ihad done the flywheel last night looked like 1 was about to fire but nothing haporned in retrospect probably coil .A while ago I did the flywheel and a 180 on the coil which led to the loudest backfire I have ever heard complicted by equally loud spousal input.That answered the heat to the spark plugs.Now cam lobe is pointing away from the car and the roter looks like #6.Would you undo the 180 back to #1 @ 11:00 etc and see what happens.
Thx.My can lobe is in the same direction but 90 degrees,a little higher tha yours,suspect 6 is about to fire. Question is do I use the standard cap leads with 1 at 11 etc
So after returning wires on cap and having sparks still wont start or backfire.
Must be the way I have stuff connected to the cap.Backfire then no fire etc.IF I go back to the flywheel etc how are the spark wires connected to the cap.
Sounds like you were close there. The next step would have been to take off the cap and see where the rotor was pointing, and make that one #6. Then follow around counter-clockwise with the firing order. 6, 2, 4, 1, 5, 3.