So me and the family hopped in the jeep the other day to go for a little ride through the fields.  When I tried to start the jeep, it didn't want to start very easy.  I hadn't started it in a few weeks, so I didn't think to much about.  When it did start, it was running a little rough.  We started off and made it about 30 yards before it lost all power and died and would not start.

After cursing a little, I went and got the truck and pulled it back into the garage.  I kept thinking it wasn't getting any gas, but as it turns out, it was out of time.  When I pulled the cap off, the rotor was pointed at approximately 5 o-clock and #1 plug was at 4 o-clock.  No big deal, I moved the distributer, started it and timed it with a light.

Here is my question.....what happened?  The distributer wasn't loose and I know it was in time before I parked it.  I sounds like it jumped time, but for the life of me, I can't picture how.  I know I "fixed" it, but I want to know what happened to avoid it happening again.

I was thinking along the same line as Randy, but I think the timing would have been out at least 180 degrees.  Being only a few degrees off, the distributor may have appeared tight, but may have actually been loose enough to move out of time.

Lew Ladwig of the IFFC makes it a regular routine to tighten nuts and bolts prior to Willys road trips.  I followed this course prior to the Fall Colors Tour last year.  My rebuild was only a few months old.  I was surprised at how loose many of the fasteners already were.

Tim

Mac,
I hadn't considered a timing gear problem. (I'm used to timing chain issues.) 

Wouldn't you slip out of time every time the missing tooth rotates?  Unless you're just catching the next gear tooth.  Helical gears would possibly have that advantage if you have a broken tooth.  Okay, now I'm just thinking out loud.  Very interesting issue.

Tim

I will double check the "clamping" force.  I hadn't thought about the nut bottoming out on the bolt.  If I remember right, I grabbed the distributer first thing when I thought to check the timing and it had no play in it.......

How about a missing or damaged tooth on the gear on the camshaft, the one that engages the gear at the end of the distributor shaft? I can't help thinking about starting problems that come back to a missing tooth on the ring gear and only appear when the ring gear stops in the position where the missing tooth would engage with the starter gear the next time you try to start the engine. Could a similar thing happen if distributor/camshaft gears are damaged, maybe just throwing the ignition timing off off a bit but not preventing ignition?

I had a similar issue with mine where I thought the clamp bolt was tight but I could still turn the distributor. It ended up that the bolt was too long and was hitting the block before it actually tighten completely.

OK, you guys are very considerate not to have pointed out my faulty memory that located the gear on the distributor shaft instead of the oil pump shaft, but where's the fun in that? Senior memory moments often make for amusing posts, and I'm sure that won't be the last one for me 

That's cool. There is a good sense of humor among forum members here that makes it a good place to be when you need a little help.