96 302 distributor install

Ok,

I'm new to the forum and looking for some help with a 1996 302 Bronco. I just installed a new long block and would like to know the best way to get the distributor back in the engine close enough so it will run. I use my compression tester to find proper stroke cycle and bring the timing mark up to zero at the pointer. Next from what I understand the ford rotor actually points torward the back of the motor. when distributor drops into place should the rotor point directly at the no.1 post?

Any help here would be greatly appreciated this thing is driving me nuts and on top of all the other issues it has a vortech supercharger that makes pulling the distributor a pain in the rear.

I'm wondering about the timing marks on the balancer the engine tag says everything is controlled by the computer but there must be some initial setting.

Also it has run but it would not idle and ran so poorly that I was sure it was off a tooth on the cam but maybe it was correct and I should have tried to check the timing with my light. does the 1996 have a connector to unplug the computer for the initial timing setting?

Dropping in a distributor can be a real bear of a job until you've done it a few times. You've got the basic idea already. Bring the #1 cylinder up to TDC (remembering that it hits TDC *twice* in each cycle but only once will both valves be shut, you can usually just stick your thumb over the spark plug hole & *feel* when it's coming up on the compression stroke w/the valves closed. ****, I've even seen a whistle that screws into the hole that will tell you). Once you're at TDC on the compression stroke you want to drop the dizzy in. Now you want it to end up with the rotor pointing right at the #1 contact in the cap, Soooo, what *I* usually do is put the cap on before-hand and use a Sharpie magic marker to mark the location of the #1 contact right there on the distributor body, THAT way with the cap off you still know where it is. It can also be helpful to install the rotor when you drop it just so you know for sure where it's pointing and can line it up with the mark you made on the body. At this point you need to remember that the distributor gear is helical and as you drop it in and the teeth engage the rotor will spin a few degrees (again it can be helpful to mark this on the body with the same Sharpie to know just how far it travels, at least until you get a better feel for it) so you'll want to turn the rotor back a couple degrees *before* you drop it so that as it turns when sinking it winds up pointing at #1 when it bottoms out. If you point it right AT #1 when you install it the curve of the gear will always turn it so that it's ahead of where you want it when it bottoms out. I hope that makes sense, it can be hard to describe without actually showing someone.

You will often have trouble getting it to drop the last quarter inch or so into the bore & you can almost always get it to seat fully by just bumping the engine real quick and it will almost always drop down & seat so you can bolt on the hold-down.

Once it's in there give it a whirl & see if it starts. It'll usually be dead on but if not there's a good chance that you're 180* out, meaning you have the wrong TDC & you didn't set it on the compression stroke. Take it out & try again.

If you have it in but just can't get it to start (it'll backfire thru the carb or *almost* start but just not catch) then you're probably a tooth or two off. Once more, take it out and try it again.

If you just KEEP landing a tooth off in either direction and can't get the silly thing to drop where you want it all is not lost. As a last ditch chance to save your sanity and drive your damn truck into work the next morning (especially when it's 3am Monday morning and you started the job on Friday afternoon) you can always take the plug wires off and just move them all back one space. I can't currently remember if the 302 spins clockwise or counterclockwise but just take each wire off and move it over one space. This is kind of cheating but it will work, it will get your truck to start & run and I'm not embarassed to say I drove one of my trucks like this for the better part of 3yrs before I bought a new distributor and did the job right. Just remember to clue your mechanic in on what you've done or the poor guy will have a stroke doing a tune-up.

Someone who knows more will probably have something to add or corect me on but that's about the best advise I can offer on how to do it. I never ponied up for a blower so I really can't speak as to what your initial timing should be with one. But shucks, you *should* be able to dial it in close enuf to get it to start & run and then adjust it in incriments until it's pulling hard without pinging.

Welcome to the Zone > .

Once you have the 0 TDC set, you should do an initial timing. I believe you have an emissions sticker on the radiator support that will give you directions for your truck, the timing is probably around 8 to 10 deg BTDC. They include removing the SPOUT connector before doing the timing. That keeps the computer from taking over until you have set the timing. The SPOUT connector is on the driver side , next to the inside of the fender see the attached diagram.

Good luck,

>-

PS That is a nice feature if you think the computer is screwing up and allows you to run at the default timing.

Thanks for the tip, I had ford mechanic tell me that these engines can sometimes be tempermental until the lifters were fully pumped up but I was thinking that the roller cam should respond better than what I'm seeing. Anyway I'm going to find that magic spot where it was at least running poorly and use my timing light to see what it is really doing. I have not had any problems getting the dizzy to drop probably because the motor is still fresh and the oil pump shaft is cooperating with me. I just hope the rebuilders used the roller cam from the 302-351 truck and not a roller from a mustang.

Ok, what would happen if the rebuilder used an earlier 302 roller cam with the firing order 15426378 instead of the later 302/351 ** 13726548?

I have this thing running (poorly) with the ignition timing set at 8 degrees before TDC using the 13726548 timing order as per ford specs and it is fowling plugs badly on 3,5,4,7.

Did they use the wrong cam and if so can I just change the plug wires or do the injectors follow the firing order as well?

I don't want to have to yank this motor out again but if these idiots used the wrong cam I would at least have to tear it down enough to change the cam and the intake manifold on these 94 to 96 302/351 motor is a bitch to work with but this thing is running on about 5-1/2 cylinders right now.