1972 LS5 Distributor Installation

[Jeff Y.]

[Joe L.]

Re: 1972 LS5 Distributor Installation

I’m working on putting the distributor back into my 1972 BB and need some help on the timing. I have the engine at TDC on #1 and need to know where the rotor should be pointing. I’ve looked at the AIM and some photos of other cars and they seem to disagree. Am I close on where it is pointing?

Thanks,
Jeff

Jeff------


It needs to be pointing at the terminal position of the distributor cap which represents the number 1 cylinder. It appears ROUGHLY correct in the photo but you need to be sure that it's closer than roughly correct.

[Jeff Y.]

Re: 1972 LS5 Distributor Installation

Thanks Joe, part of my confusion is when I look at the AIM it shows #1 to the left side of the door in the cap and #2 to the right. Every car I have looked at, including mine before I took it apart, has #1 to the right of the door and #8 to the left. So, not sure if I should put it back how it was or try and follow the AIM.

[Edward J.]

Re: 1972 LS5 Distributor Installation

Jeff, just follow the firing order in the clockwise directional. should be 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. #1 is to the right of the door. Make sure the dist. is indexed correctly, your AIM should show the position ot the vacuum advance. either in front of the rear bracket on intake or behind.

[Duke W.]

Re: 1972 LS5 Distributor Installation

What does the CSM say?

Also, why did you index the crank at TDC? You should remove and install the dist. at the whatever initial timing point you use on the #1 compression stroke.

Guys get into trouble when they just remove the dist. at wherever crank position the engine last stopped rather than setting the crankshaft as above.

Once the dist. has seated when indexed as above, you rotate the housing until the points just begin to open. You can do this visually, but and ohmmeter is more accurate and should get you within a degree of where you have the balancer notch on the timing tab.

Duke

[Jeff Y.]

Re: 1972 LS5 Distributor Installation

Thanks Duke,

I do have it on number 1 compression with the timing mark on the balancer at 0 on the tab, guess I should have added a little more detail. So, if I want 10 degrees of initial advance I should set the notch on the balancer to 10 and set the points just opening?

[Duke W.]

Re: 1972 LS5 Distributor Installation

Yes. If you can't achieve that before the VAC interferes with something, the distributor is not indexed to the cam gear correctly.

Duke

[Larry M.]

Re: 1972 LS5 Distributor Installation

Jeff,

Make sure that the distributor gear is properly positioned on the mainshaft. The dimple on it should align with the rotor contact.

If the gear has ever been removed, there's the possibility it may have been re-installed incorrectly (180 degrees off), which will affect your timing.

Larry

[Jeff Y.]

Re: 1972 LS5 Distributor Installation

Thanks Guys, now I know how to install it.

Jeff