if I was 50 years younger and if it was an fe i would have known the answer. i put a water pump and timing chain and gears in it, now to time it , my distributor is dead ending at the vac advance against the termostat housing. i know i need to lift the distributor our and turn the rotor forward or backward but cant remember which direction looking at it from the front. i know the vac advance should end up pretty much straight ahead to be in the hood of correct timing. any help , i would be greatful. thanks!

 

You can do that or just move the plug wires a hole or two.

the easiest way to always know what direction the distributor is turning is to look at the vacuum advance can. it always pulls in the opposite direction of the distributor rotation.

 

I may be misreading you here, but in leu of pulling the distributor to re-clock it, there's nothing wrong with rotating your distributor counterclockwise until your advance has clearance, then just reassign the plug wires on the distributor.

 

 

thanks, got it done!

 

Nothing wrong with doing it other than the next owner will pull out hair trying to figure out why. Should be same process as FE.

 

I had to do that on an engine when I changed it to HEI distributor. The front float bowl on the Holley 4150 wouldn't clear the distributor's power connector. I just rotated the distributor 45 degrees and played musical terminals with the plug wires.