The Ford Barn

jdpalmer · 01-10-2023, 07:47 PM

Had some trouble with points and distributer so changed distributer and retimed. Would not hit but sounded like on intake stroke back through carburetor. Checked timing and rotor had moved 1/4 to right. retimed and same thing. The rotor has lock washer and new timing gear so would screw not hold rotor?

Mike Peters · 01-10-2023, 11:25 PM

Your rotor cam may not be as tight as it should be. With engine off, try to rotate the distributer cam after tightening the cam screw. If you can turn it on the distributer shaft with a cam wrench, etc, then that's your problem. A loose cam screw will allow the cam to slowly retard the timing as the engine is run until it eventually will stop running. Happened to me once.

nkaminar · 01-11-2023, 11:12 AM

Is the screw too long and bottoming out?

jdpalmer · 01-11-2023, 06:26 PM

I'll check the screws against had a flat washer under the lock washer may not have locked the cam

jdpalmer · 01-15-2023, 12:31 AM

There was a flat washer u def the lock washer

Synchro909 · 01-15-2023, 04:30 AM

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Is it the rotor that is moving out of time as the heading says or is it the cam moving on the shaft as everyone seems to be assuming?
I had a rotor button that was faulty from the start. The notch inside it that locates in the groove in the cam was VERY low, low enough that it didn't engage well enough to stop the rotor moving on the cam. Needless to say that when it moved to about half way between the contact that it was supposed to be near and the next one, the spark went every which way. The car sounded like WW3, it backfired, bucked and pigrooted so much.
Check the inside of the rotor button. It ay be faulty like mine.

01-10-2023, 07:47 PM	#1
jdpalmer Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Dublin, Virginia Posts: 191	Roto button moved out of timing Had some trouble with points and distributer so changed distributer and retimed. Would not hit but sounded like on intake stroke back through carburetor. Checked timing and rotor had moved 1/4 to right. retimed and same thing. The rotor has lock washer and new timing gear so would screw not hold rotor? __________________ Jimmy Palmer

01-10-2023, 11:25 PM	#2
Mike Peters Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: South East Wisconsin Posts: 1,279	Re: Roto button moved out of timing Your rotor cam may not be as tight as it should be. With engine off, try to rotate the distributer cam after tightening the cam screw. If you can turn it on the distributer shaft with a cam wrench, etc, then that's your problem. A loose cam screw will allow the cam to slowly retard the timing as the engine is run until it eventually will stop running. Happened to me once.

01-11-2023, 11:12 AM	#3
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,900	Re: Roto button moved out of timing Is the screw too long and bottoming out? __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

01-11-2023, 06:26 PM	#4
jdpalmer Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Dublin, Virginia Posts: 191	Re: Roto button moved out of timing I'll check the screws against had a flat washer under the lock washer may not have locked the cam __________________ Jimmy Palmer

01-15-2023, 12:31 AM	#5
jdpalmer Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Dublin, Virginia Posts: 191	Re: Roto button moved out of timing There was a flat washer u def the lock washer __________________ Jimmy Palmer

01-15-2023, 04:30 AM	#6
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,496	Re: Roto button moved out of timing Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Is it the rotor that is moving out of time as the heading says or is it the cam moving on the shaft as everyone seems to be assuming? I had a rotor button that was faulty from the start. The notch inside it that locates in the groove in the cam was VERY low, low enough that it didn't engage well enough to stop the rotor moving on the cam. Needless to say that when it moved to about half way between the contact that it was supposed to be near and the next one, the spark went every which way. The car sounded like WW3, it backfired, bucked and pigrooted so much. Check the inside of the rotor button. It ay be faulty like mine. __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.