play in distributor and rotor is facing #5 plug wire, almost number 3

alright, so i read a bunch of distributor threads tonight, and remembered my renix dizzy seeming a little looser than i expected when i did the cap and rotor a while back. also i have a little bit of noise coming from that area. like clicking, i assume its sticky lifters like everyone else(ive ran a bunch of atf and MMO through it though) but it seems to come from the dizzy area more than the lifters.....

anyway....
i checked it tonight, and i have a good amount of side to side play in the rotor, and i also have a good amount of side to side play in the dizzy itself. furthermore, the rotor faces the #5 plug right now?

is that normal that it stops whereever, like on the #5 plug wire? or is it supposed to be at the #1 plug when its stopped(3 cm from the plug)

jeep runs though...

from what i understand i should just mark the dizzy and the somewhere on the engine where the rotor is facing after i pull the cap then match them up when i put the dizzy back in after i check the gear and bushing on it?

i guess i only need to worry about having it on the #1 plug if i am making sure the engine is at TDC right?

Where it stops, nobody knows. It's like the wheel of fortune. When harmonic balancer shows TDC, it should line up with Cyl #1 or be 180 degrees (halfway) around to the opposite side. Harmonic balancer mark (crank) comes around twice for every one time the dizzy spins around. If you have much play at all in the dizzy (side to side) you should fix it, probably with a junkyard replacement. Up and down play is more acceptable, but not side to side.

correct- if it's running fairly well, it's in time. Mark the distributor where the rotor points and make a mark on the base of the distributor that continues onto the block as well. Unbolt and pull straight up on the distributor. The rotor will turn as you're lifting everything. When it's free, mark where it stops and you'll know where to start upon re-installation.

As long as nobody attempts to crank the engine (battery is disconnected, right) or turns it by hand, you'll be able to set the distributor back in fairly easily upon completion of checking it. Be careful of the oil pump drive down in the dist. hole, as it will keep things from seating if it gets turned, but if nothing gets cranked/turned it should still be right where it needs to be when you're ready for it to engage the distributor.

blondejoncherokee said:

i guess i only need to worry about having it on the #1 plug if i am making sure the engine is at TDC right?

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Correct, otherwise you'll have a very poorly running engine, if it even runs at all....been there, done that.

winterbeater said:

Where it stops, nobody knows. It's like the wheel of fortune. When harmonic balancer shows TDC, it should line up with Cyl #1 or be 180 degrees (halfway) around to the opposite side.

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A minor correction. At roughly 14 degrees BTDC the rotor should be pointing at the #1 cylinder. This compensates for the timing advance.

old_man said:

A minor correction. At roughly 14 degrees BTDC the rotor should be pointing at the #1 cylinder. This compensates for the timing advance.

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-14* of crankshaft revolution before TDC will get the leading edge of the rotor at #1 terminal

- crank balancer on TDC will put the leading edge of the rotor 7* (of distributor ratation) past the #1 terminal (which actually looks like the trailing edge is pointed at the terminal)

i plan on hitting the jy this weekend for dizzy gears or maybe even a brand new dizzy adn to practice on pulling some dizzys out
hopefully i can find a good dizzy or at least a good gear or two for it.
also since i havent pulled mine out, ive read these things use bushings to keep them situated, so can i pull a good bushing from the jy or do i need to get em someewhere else, it seems all pics of new dizzys on rockauto and napa.com dont have a bushing anywhere...

blondejoncherokee said:

i plan on hitting the jy this weekend for dizzy gears or maybe even a brand new dizzy adn to practice on pulling some dizzys out
hopefully i can find a good dizzy or at least a good gear or two for it.
also since i havent pulled mine out, ive read these things use bushings to keep them situated, so can i pull a good bushing from the jy or do i need to get em someewhere else, it seems all pics of new dizzys on rockauto and napa.com dont have a bushing anywhere...

Click to expand...

XJ distributors are NOT "field" rebuildable. With the sideways play you described a gear is not going to cut it, the non-serviceable bushings inside the distributor shaft are toast.

Get a complete distributor or nothing.

I didn't see where you stated the year/engine, but just for grins and giggles rockauto.com offers two reman dist for the Renix, $61 + core charge, NAPA lists one for $77 + core.

yah ive already priced distributors on rockauto, autozone, and napa, rockauto is the way to go.
good to know the gear wont fix it so i dont bark up the wrong tree.