removing distributor

[rdou]

i need to replace vacuum valve on my 1983 it is not holding a vacuum,i want to rebuild new bearings and seal, i have a shop manual for the 2 LT engine but very unsure as to procedure the manual says to line up crankcase to timing marker on pulley and remove distributor, then replace in roughly the same position it was removed from the rotor pick up tip should be facing # 4. do i need to worry cam position if i dont crank over the engine with distributor out

[18Fiatsandcounting]

When the distributor rotor tip is facing the #4 spark plug contact on the distributor cap, the crankshaft should be lined up as you indicated, but equally important is that the camshaft pulleys (gears) are lined up correctly with their marks. If this is unclear, here's what you can do: Before removing the distributor, make a mark on the distributor flange where it inserts into the camshaft housing, and make a mark on that camshaft housing aligned with this mark on the distributor flange. Remove the distributor cap, and make a mark on the distributor body that is exactly where the rotor tip is pointing to. You either scribe the marks with a sharp tool or use a Sharpie marker or the like.

Rebuild the distributor, but don't rotate the engine in any way. After rebuilding the distributor, align the rotor against the mark you made on the distributor body, and align the distributor so that the mark on the flange aligns with the mark you made on the camshaft housing. Due to the nature of the gear on the end of the distributor shaft, the rotor will likely turn slightly as you insert the rebuilt distributor so you need to account for that.

Assuming nothing moved, this should get you close to being aligned, although you likely will need to adjust the ignition timing after you're all done.

-Bryan

[rdou]

thank you sir that cleans up my concern if i understand, the main concern is not to rotate the engine once you mark and remove the distributor and mark the position of the casing and rotor position in the casing.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

thank you sir that cleans up my concern if i understand, the main concern is not to rotate the engine once you mark and remove the distributor and mark the position of the casing and rotor position in the casing.

Exactly. Keep everything lined up as it was, don't rotate the engine, and you should be fine.

-Bryan