jayhawk261

To set the distributor in properly, you need to turn the engine so that the #1 cylinder is on TDC of the compression stroke. Then you need to set the distributor in so that the rotor points towards the #1 plug wire contact on the distributor cap. It will take some wiggling and some turning to get the distributor set down in the block and seated against the camshaft.

Once the distributor is set in place, snug the distributor clamp bolt so that you can still rotate the distributor, but it doesn't rotate on its own. Rotate the distributor so that the rotor is facing just slightly before the #1 contact.

On your balancer, you need to make a mark at the 10 degree before TDC line using white out or touch up paint. This ensures that you can see it while the engine is running.

If the boat is on the trailer, you will need to connect water to the drive so as not to destroy the water pump impellor by running it dry.

After reinstalling the plugs and plug wires, you are now ready to give starting a shot. Make sure your timing light is hooked up and ready to go. You need to be at the engine, while someone else turns the key as you may need to rotate the distributor slightly to get it to start. make sure to open the throttle and close it a couple of times to get some fuel in the carb. If there is no fuel in the carb at this time, you may want to prime the bowls by VERY CAREFULLY putting some fuel down the vent tubes into the bowls. Otherwise, you will have to crank the engine for some time for the fuel pump to fill them up. As I said, do this VERY CAREFULLY so as not to spill gasoline all over the intake and down the carb. Once you have fuel, have your helper turn the engine over. If it cranks over very quickly, advance the timing slightly by rotating the distributor. If it cranks over slowly, like the battery is dead, retard the timing slightly. As long as the distributor is in phase, it should fire rather quickly. If it is not in phase (180 out) it will most likely backfire through the carb and blow the power valve (if it is a holley).

Once it fires, get it to idle at approximately 900 rpm. Now use your timing light to check the timing on the balancer. Find your marked line and rotate the distributor until the mark matches up with the pointer. If the rpm changes, re-set it to 900 and make any adjustments to line the marks up again. lock down the distributor clamp and set the idle where it needs to be.

This is a realtively easy thing to do, but if you don't take your time and do it correctly, you can blow power valves, and even lose an engine if the distributor is a tooth or 2 off. I have seen an engine lost due to detonation because the distributor was 2 teeth off. Somehow they got it to run and set the timing. It turned out they were running over 60 degrees total advance and detonated the engine burning up the pistons.

I don't know that I would want to learn how to do this on my new marine engine!

DISCLAIMER: I am in NO WAY responsible for any engine damage due to you following my procedure. Many people here have strongly suggested that you have this done by a professional and I agree that you should. You asked how to do it though, so I have given that info.

Andy

Do nothing to the engines your self. Pay someone else to get them going. If your valves are rusty then there not stainless or not marine. If you set the rockers in the wrong position you will bend the pushrods. A high reving marine engine needs someone more than a back yard mechanic

alamo28

Jayhawk,

I appreciate your info. I did pretty much what you said and I am not getting the thing to keep running. It tries to but then stalls out. I was curious about one thing. The distributor will only go all the way down in 2 positions. Is that correct? It will not go all the way down anywhere else but the two positions and like you had said it was 180 out. I am going to have a friend of mine who is a marine mechanic come by and get it right but I wanted to find out as much info as I could on my own. I would never try to hold anybody responsible for me blowing my engine. If I blew my engine I would learn a very costly lesson but one that I would only blame on myself. I appreciate what many of you are saying by saying hire a pro and pay him and as I said I will but threads like the one that Jayhawk wrote are very helpful and I appreciate threads like that because it gives me something to try. The engine that had the 2 rusty valves was on the other side and I have not even attempted to do anything with that engine as far as starting it because the valves need to be set. I was excited to get a little love out of this engine when she tried to fire. If I blew the powervalve in the holley how would I check it to see if I did. I have holley 850 carbs on it. with world product heads that are not marine heads so the valves will get a little rusty.

jayhawk261

Being that the oil pump drive shaft has a slot in it, I think you are correct that it can only go in correctly or 180 out. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong. Most of my engine work is on fords that have a hexagonal oil pump shaft, so there are more places the distributor can sit down.

How to tell if your power valves are blown? If you backfired through the carb, they are blown. Period. When a power valve is blown, it allows fuel to run in the carb when there is higher vacuum making it run extremely rich. It will idle very poorly nd be very rich if the power valve is blown.

alamo28

I was curious about the distributor being a tooth or 2 off by what you were saying and blowing the engine. If it will only go all the way down in 2 positions how can it be a tooth or 2 off? Thanks again. Knowledge is power and I need as much as possible. This boat ran 77 on radar before the installation of the new intakes. I was hoping that I could break 80 with the new intakes. Will I gain anything other than frustration with the installation of the new intakes?

alamo28

Jayhawk,

I was just on the phone with the guys at Summit Racing in Ohio and they told me it would have to be a pretty massive backfire to blow the powervalve in the new holleys. He was trying to explain how it all worked with a spring and a check ball that will not allow the powervalve to blow. Either was if I blew it up it would still run just idle crappy.

Griff

New holley's have a PV saver and don't blow very easy. I've had several backfires and never blown one.

To get the distributor to fully seat, you have to bump the engine over. The bottom of the dist shaft is not lining up with the oil pump shaft. Install the dist right first and then bump the starter till it seats. Then recheck to make sure its timed right on #1.

alamo28

Griff,

I understand about the distributor going all the way down, I was just wondering how you can be a tooth or 2 off. Thats my concern now. I want to make sure that I am not

alamo28

Guys,

One more question for you, Jayhawk had suggested possibly rotating the distributor a little to get it to start. If I do that I wont I get a massive shock. I know with outboards you cant touch the plug wires while the engine is running or cranking. I am assuming that you are suggesting moving the distributor a little while the engine is not cranking. I know it may sound stupid but I like to ask first before I get zapped

alamo28

Sorry but one more question. What RPM would be a safe redline without pushing the engines to much. I was at about 5200 before the intake change