Timing

[Weedhopper]

After 3 years of rebuilding, I got my jeep running today, started and ran pretty good right off. After setting the idle mixture and rpms. Timing sounded OK, no missing, smooth idle and good acceleration. When I went to check the timing the crank pully mark is about 1/2" from the TDC and 5 degree TDC marks. The distributor is at it adjustment limit to get it any closer. It will adjust back the other direction but the engine looses it timing.
 
I replaced the distributor with an electronic version from Walacks. The engine was rebuilt at a shop, that where the distributor was put in. Is it possible its slightly out of position or 180 degrees off?

[Gunslinger]

I think its unlikely that you would 180 off, if it was that far off the motor would not start as the distributor would be firing on the exhaust stroke.  My guess is that they may have been off a bit when they put the oil pump in.  The oil pump should go in with the fat side of the key way on the up side of the shaft, and the key way itself pointed at the 930-330 position.  Then as you insert it into the gear on the camshaft it will rotate clockwise, when its in the right position youcan look down the distributor hole and see the keyway at the 1100-500 position with the fat side of the keyway on the right side of the keyway.  When you insert the distributor into the oil pump it can only go in one way, when I do mine the number one plug wire on the distributor ends up at about 500-530 position, and that seems to be about 5-10 degrees advanced.  The Universal Jeep service book does a good job with pictures and descriptions of the whole process.

[rocketeer]

It's not 180 off, it sounds like the oil pump is one tooth off. Was the oil pump replaced?

Larry

[Weedhopper]

Oil pump was replaced during the rebuild. The motor runs so well as it sits, is there any reason to pull the distributor and oil pump to re-clock them to get the marks to line up? Other than not knowing what the timing is exactly. Being at 6500 feet in elevation being at 5 degrees BTDC is probably not an accurate setting anyway.

[rocketeer]

Anything worth doing is worth doing right but hey, it's your jeep.

Larry

[Jesse]

You could check the distributor part No. and see if it is the correct year for whatever block you have. I know that we just discovered that the distributor is from a earlier 2a and the engine is of course a later 50's kaiser supersonic. I can't remember which but one distributor is indexed at 12 o'clock and the other is supposed to be set at 1 o'clock.  Ours is at 12 now and it should be at 1 I guess is what I'm getting at. The cap is turned all the way to one side, so tonight we are taking out the pump to reset it. If there is some imrovement in how it runs, I will let you know.

-Jesse