Question about stabbing a distributor

[Ohio Ken]

Originally Posted by olddog

The timing light flashes when the plug wire it is connected to fires. Your eyes see the crank shaft mark, when it flashes. Where the engine was, when the distributor was inserted, has absolutely nothing to do with the accuracy of the timing light.

If forger the number of teeth on the distributor gear, but you're just trying to get the right tooth lined up. All you can do is move the distributor one tooth +/- at a time. You cannot align it any finer than one tooth. That is why you rotate the distributor with a light. Frankly rotating the engine 10 deg doesn't amount to a hill a beans.

What is most important is that number 1 is on the compression stroke when you put the distributor in, because if it is not you will be 180 degrees out of time.

If this is a fuel injected engine, which position in the distributor cap you choose to put #1 cylinder in matters! On a fuel injected engine, you have to set the distributor up correctly because it also controls when the injectors fire.

To clarify, I inserted the distributor with the harmonic balancer set at 10 degrees btdc, while distributor rotor was lined up with #1 plug wire. Then under timing light it shows 20 degrees btdc on the timing mark. It is a carbureted car with a mechanical advance (no computer). If I leave the light set to 20 degrees, then throttle the rpm's to 3000, the timing advances to about 34 to 36 and seems to run strong at high and low rpm.
But, if it use the light and turn distributor to light at 10 degrees at idle, it runs hot and doesn't want to restart.
This seems to indicate that wherever your stab the dizzy, under the light would be twice that amount.
Example
Stabbed at 0 , 0 x2=0
Stabbed at 6, 6x2= 12
Stabbed at 10, 10x2=20
Does that make sense?