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I replaced the distributor pip sensor on my 95 Mustang 5.0 and I’m having a hard time lining up the rotor close to 12 o’clock position. Before I replaced the pip sensor I was able to stab the distributor rotor close to lower intake bolt about 11 o’clock position and the rotor would line up. But now I can’t get it lined up. I’m about half an inch off and I been messing with this for about an hr and I can’t get it. I made a video of it showing what is happening. Any ideas why I can’t get the rotor to line up? Thanks
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Your rotor is moving because the distributor shaft gear is meshing with the cam gear as you’re seating the distributor body. The gears are helical, (curved), which causes shaft rotation during engagement.
Seems to me that that you might be 1 or 2 teeth off at the beginning of the process. Try pointing the rotor further to the left (counter clockwise) before seating the distributor.
I’m assuming you didn’t rotate the crank while the distributor was out.
No I didn’t rotate the crank when the distributor was out. The mark is set at 10 degress tdc. It seems like im off 1 or 2 teeth. I did try positioning the rotor at 10 o’clock and it didnt come close to my mark
Two things come to mind.
First, you can install the distributor as it is and correct the timing issue by rotating the distributor body to compensate. Old school stuff.
Or, you can remove the distributor drive gear, rotate it 180 degrees, and reinstall the roll pin. Although it’s difficult for me to imagine, perhaps there’s something about the distributor drive shaft, drive gear and pin relationship that results in different clocking depending on which way the gear goes on.
I tried and the car will not start up with the rotor being off. I don’t know how i could of mess up the drive gear and roll pin relationship. The gear and pin goes in and lines up one way. Do i rotate the rotor 180 before or after i remove the gear?
“I tried and the car will not start up with the rotor being off.”
You get the timing back to where it should be by rotating the distributor body after it’s fully installed. Use a timing light to get things perfect. By rotating the body as needed, you re-establish the proper timing relationship between the rotor and #1 cylinder terminal on the cap. In reality, the rotor doesn’t care where it’s pointing. Any terminal on the cap can be assigned as #1, as long as the rotor is pointing to it when the crank is at or near TDC for #1 cylinder on the compression stroke, and you then connect the remaining plug wires on the cap in the correct order.
“Do I rotate the rotor 180 before or after I remove the gear?”
Forget about the rotor at this point. What I mean is, remove the distributor, remove the roll pin, take the drive gear off, turn the gear 180 and reassemble.
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