wacky distributor cap
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Registered User
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17
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From: Newark, DE
wacky distributor cap
Hey everyone. I'm new to this forum so thanks for reading. We are having issues with my dad's 88 ram w100. Replacing the distributor cap and rotor was part of the issue but what I dont get is the truck has been running fine for a while, but when i switched the old cap for the new one, I went by the haynes manual and according to it, the firing order was totally wrong the way the cap was origionally set up. how did it run so smooth? the 318 v8 is supposed to start with #1 in front and then clockwise but he had the #1 to the right (driver's side) and the #2 going counter clockwise. is that even possible? i noticed that the bigger v8's like the 400 were going counter clockwise but the cap was at the front of the engine instead of by the windshield (according to the sketches in the manual). What's the deal? By the way the car hasnt started yet due to other issues but the cap is sitting on there ready to go...i'm curious to how it will run if we get it started....
Legend
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,025
Likes: 72
From: orangeville ontario
the best way to swap caps is 1 wire at a time. the firing order is the same for all v8's. 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 clockwise for the small blocks and counter clockwise for the big blocks from TDC. if you set it up like in the pictures in the haynes manual it should run great.
Champion
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,639
Likes: 4
From: Bent Mountain Va
My advise would be to stay with the original thread rather than starting new ones for the same problem so that we can refer back easily to all posts on this subject for continuity.
This is an older engine and someone may have been inside it before. I have seen engines that run quite well with the number 1 wire in the wrong position and then all of the rest of the wires in the correct firing order from that number 1 position. This can happen if someone pulls the distributer and puts it back in wrong and just moves the wires on the cap to compensate. Bring the timing mark on the crank to top dead center and check where the rotor is pointing. That should be #1 or #6 depending on whether it is on the compression stroke or exhaust stroke. Then set the firing order from there in the clockwise direction.
#2 should be counter clockwise from #1 on the 318.
This is an older engine and someone may have been inside it before. I have seen engines that run quite well with the number 1 wire in the wrong position and then all of the rest of the wires in the correct firing order from that number 1 position. This can happen if someone pulls the distributer and puts it back in wrong and just moves the wires on the cap to compensate. Bring the timing mark on the crank to top dead center and check where the rotor is pointing. That should be #1 or #6 depending on whether it is on the compression stroke or exhaust stroke. Then set the firing order from there in the clockwise direction.
#2 should be counter clockwise from #1 on the 318.
Last edited by SEAL; Feb 25, 2010 at 02:41 PM.