Need help ASAP please!! Dist. problem

I sprung a leak at the distributor so I decided to take it out and replace the oring. Well i didn't think to mark the position. The teeth then scored the hole and the old distributor got stuck. I broke it trying to get it out.

So this morning I went to pullapart and got a new distributor, but I cant get it to run. I'm moving tomorrow and the truck has to be running. Someone please help or send me to a link.

I'm in the middle of moving and have limited access online so I thought you guys would be the first place to ask.

if u swap dizzies (assuming nothing is broken) jus line up the cam and crank marks and make sure #1 piston is all the way up. turn the rotor in the dizzy to 9 o clock. it will turn a little as u slide it in im sure u know so compensate. if ur marks are lined up the rotor button should point to nine oclock. you may just be 90 dgrees off. happens alot. hope nothin else is broke man good luck

You need to make sure the that #1 is at top dead center at the top of the compression stroke and not the top of the exhaust stroke. Hopefully, you had it there before you removed the old one. But if you didn't, or you've turned the engine at all, then you're going to need to reference the little "v" notch on the harmonic balancer to know that you are at TDC of the compression stroke.

Once you've got that, then you can install the distributor. Here is a link to a good thread with some pics. I haven't read the whole thing lately, but I thing the guy asking was talking about an 89, while the Axel Breaker Earl was talking about 90-93 distributors. Skim down to the pictures and you will see the marks on the distributor shaft to align.



Once you've located the "v" notch in the balancer, you might want to put a tiny touch of light or white paint on it so you can see it when you try to adjust the timing. Go ahead and mark it now, even if you aren't going to try and fine tune it today.

Here is another thread that shows the notch in the harmonic balancer. Your's won't have the yellow paint mark and will be difficult to see - it's tiny. But you'll need to turn the engine with a 21mm (i think it's 21) socket to align that notch to TDC.

One last link... just to give you an idea about the rotor being positioned so that it's in the 9:00 position (when viewed from the left side of the truck.) Just imagine the distributor cap going back on, and when it does, the rotor should be lined up with the wire in the cap that will be at 9:00 (roughly)... that will be you're number one cylinder.

Take a look at the last pic in this thread....


and again, all this is predicated on the engine being at #1 TDC (compression stroke, HB notch aligned at TDC!)

well got the dizzy in and its running but I still have a horrible leak up front (like 3 quarts in 20 miles or so) its bad and I can't pin point it. I think the dizzy o ring is still bad. ( couldn't buy a new one bc no one had one in stock and i just moved yesterday.) Is there a common spot that leaks on these trucks?

Valve cover gaskets leak... But not usually that much and it should be obvious if that was your problem. The little half moon at the front of the head will leak too.

You need to clean it up and then watch for it to reappear. If you're using the old o-ring, then you havent really changed anything and that might be your problem.


Could also be the front crankshaft seal.

so i know it's been a minute since i replied. I am thankful for all of your help. I've been getting settled in and started my new job down here and it's been hectic. The front crank seal was bad. I've done valve cover gasket, and front crank seal. I'm still getting a small leak (might be the dizzy oring) its dripping on the pulleys and slinging everywhere which is making it a bitch to find. and it's been raining for like 3 days straight and cold as hell so I haven't been able to go check it out. The leak it has now is minimal (about half a quart every few days). I'll update as I find new things

So a bit of an update 5 months later... I found the leak. My timing cover is fucking cracked. Right below the distributor. And JB weld didn't seal it.