Itinerant Air-Cooled

I took the distributor off to facilitate fitting the cooling tin and for whatever reason the engine got turned while the dizzy was out. Two questions:
(1) Does moving the engine with the distributor out mean the driver gear may have come out?
(2) How do I find #1 TDC again? (The pulley marks aren't clear.)

Just line up the notch in the fan to the "0" on the timing scale.

I only remove the distributor when I have the engine at TDC almost ready for #1 to fire. could it have moved very far?

whc03grady wrote:I took the distributor off to facilitate fitting the cooling tin and for whatever reason the engine got turned while the dizzy was out. Two questions:
(1) Does moving the engine with the distributor out mean the driver gear may have come out?
(2) How do I find #1 TDC again? (The pulley marks aren't clear.)

You haven't lost any alignment. The distributor shaft/rotor will only seat into the drive gear below when it is aligned to the lugs. You can rotate the engine to any position you like all day blindfolded and seat the distributor with your eyes closed, just by feeling when the distributor shaft drops down into the lugs. Once the distributor drive shaft is indexed, the only thing you need to do is line up the distributor body with whatever landmark you choose. For me and the Road Warrior, it was always to have the advance can aligned directly across from the bale on the breather. Once you start the engine, of course, you shall accurately time it with your stroboscopic timing light.
Colin

yup, as Colin said -just install it back in. You can static time the engine first to get it close enough to start and then use a timing light to time it correctly.

"Indexed"?
Why is there so much warning about turning the engine with the dizzy out, then?
I understand about the offset lugs and it only fitting one way. So what's the point of finding TDC on #1, and lining it up 12° and all, if I can just spin the engine around like a monkey and slap the dizzy in the one--the only--way it'll fit anyway? I have a feeling I'm missing something....

whc03grady wrote:"Indexed"?
Why is there so much warning about turning the engine with the dizzy out, then?
I understand about the offset lugs and it only fitting one way. So what's the point of finding TDC on #1, and lining it up 12° and all, if I can just spin the engine around like a monkey and slap the dizzy in the one--the only--way it'll fit anyway? I have a feeling I'm missing something....

The only thing I can think of is if the distributor was removed from the distributor mounting clamp and you want to be close to timed for the initial start up.

It depends on the engine builder if he put the drive shaft in correctly.

Okay, after sitting there staring, parts in hand, it came together in my brain and it's assembled now.
Thanks, guys.

whc03grady wrote:So what's the point of finding TDC on #1, and lining it up 12° and all, if I can just spin the engine around like a monkey and slap the dizzy in the one--the only--way it'll fit anyway? I have a feeling I'm missing something....

The shaft that the distributor itself fits into does need to be correctly indexed to the crankshaft. Once that is done, the distributor can be installed by a gibbon.
Baboon

bajaman72 wrote:It depends on the engine builder if he put the drive shaft in correctly.

Amskeptic wrote:The shaft that the distributor itself fits into does need to be correctly indexed to the crankshaft.

...which I assume any competent engine builder like mine would've done. No?

You would be suprised.

whc03grady wrote:

bajaman72 wrote:It depends on the engine builder if he put the drive shaft in correctly.

Amskeptic wrote:The shaft that the distributor itself fits into does need to be correctly indexed to the crankshaft.

...which I assume any competent engine builder like mine would've done. No?

I am the dood recommending that the only competent engine builder is like ... you.

amskeptic wrote:I am the dood recommending that the only competent engine builder is like ... you.

I am greatly sympathetic to this sentiment. When Gertrude's time comes (which is soon), I will be doing it myself.
On the other hand, I'm certain my engine builder indexed the dizzy properly.