From: darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov on behalf of Dave Darling [darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov] Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 1999 9:39 AM To: Tim Lavery Cc: 914 Subject: Re: [914] ignition help please!! At 12:03 AM -0800 4/7/99, Tim Lavery wrote: >Got a 009 distributor from the 914 fan website and tried to install it last >night. ... My question is, how do I >get everything back to square one to start fresh, eg. get the rotor pointed >to #1 so that I can double-check all the ignition wires and make sure >everything is lined up? Am I right in thinking that the notch on the dizzy >body indicates the #1 cylinder and that it progresses 2-3-4 in a clockwise >fashion? Is the actual firing order something less straightforward? >Approximately how should the dizzy be aligned relative to other things in >the engine compartment in order to get vaguely correct timing to start >from? I don't have experience with the 009 distributor specifically. With that said, I think you are close with your assessment. The firing order is 1-4-3-2, however. The way that I hook up spark plugs is that the two plugs on the right side (passenger) of the engine hook up in the same order as the terminals on the distributor--that is, the forward one to the forward one. The plugs on the left-hand side of the engine are crossed when they get to the distributor; the aft plug goes to the forward connection on the dizzy cap. When I hooked my left-side wires up backwards, the car didn't start but did backfire in a really BIG way! (Took a couple of minutes to hear again...) The notch in the edge of the distributor body points to the front- left, and this is for plug #1. If you know you are getting a spark (check to be sure!) then you can twist the distributor around some until you find a place where the engine starts. It helps to have two people; one to crank the engine and one to twist the dizzy. My travel was limited by the vaccuum advance thing on the dizzy. The 009s will not be, so don't move it more than you have to, and check that timing as soon as you can. Good luck, and I hope you make the autocross! --DD Dave Darling 74 914 2.0 (VROOM!) darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov <--- OR ---> ddarling@wgss.com "914: The Porsche Picnic Basket. A lid that opens on each end, and a handle in the middle.." -- CHD