NAA Distributor orientation

[Two0aks]

Trying to static time and wondering if anyone knows where factory placed the distributor. This came with tractor, so I don't know if it's original. It has the FoMoCo tag on it and the oiler tube. Cap has #1 embossed on it.

I suspect the oiler tube should be either 3 O-Clock or 9 O-clock, but don't know for sure. So that's one question. Someone here in the archives said #1 should point to #1 spark plug. If true, coil terminal wire & Cap spring hold down allow the distributor a small amount of rotation due to proximity to Tappet cover.

Another is this. When I insert the distributor, the tang on the rotor is almost past the cap terminal when I use the audible VOM and rotate to where the sound stops (Points opening). Pretty sure that's where one would static time it ?

Both the owners manual & Shop service manual say set flywheel to 8 BTDC which I've done. What am I missing ?

Any help for the illegitimate child NAA ?

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 16:05:06 09/26/22) Trying to static time and wondering if anyone knows where factory placed the distributor. This came with tractor, so I don't know if it's original. It has the FoMoCo tag on it and the oiler tube. Cap has #1 embossed on it.

I suspect the oiler tube should be either 3 O-Clock or 9 O-clock, but don't know for sure. So that's one question. Someone here in the archives said #1 should point to #1 spark plug. If true, coil terminal wire & Cap spring hold down allow the distributor a small amount of rotation due to proximity to Tappet cover.

Another is this. When I insert the distributor, the tang on the rotor is almost past the cap terminal when I use the audible VOM and rotate to where the sound stops (Points opening). Pretty sure that's where one would static time it ?

Both the owners manual & Shop service manual say set flywheel to 8 BTDC which I've done. What am I missing ?

Any help for the illegitimate child NAA ?

Which direction are you rotating the distributor body to hear the sound stop.? Should be CCW

 

[Two0aks]

Thanks JMOR for the fast reply. Yes, rotating body CCW as if engine was turning rotor CW. I'm nearly certain this it an accurate way of doing that.
However with oil tube outboard like yours will it allow oil to the shaft ? Maybe it's no big deal. I was mostly interested in how it was originally. I see from your photo it's the Vane pump like mine. I'm hoping mine works once I find o-rings for the tubes.

Another item cause I can't remember. Does Batt Neg from terminal block go to + side of coil and distributor to Neg side ? I haven't yet found a diagram that shows.

 

[JMOR]

In my picture distributor orientation is slightly CCW from that shown in NAA Shop manual, with oiler being about where electrical connection is in my photo. Polarity? With POS ground battery connection, the + side of coil ties to distributor. That way, + side of coil sees + side of battery when points close to ground. Thus terminal block is neg & thru ignition switch will be negative to coil neg (-).

This post was edited by JMOR on 09/26/2022 at 01:57 pm.

 

[Two0aks]

Thank you for the schematic. It will come in handy for my new wiring harness. Discussions would suggest a lot of folks don't get wiring right then wonder why! Kind of hard to mess up with your diagram.
My Owners manual shows the Dist. like yours and it's how mine was when I got it. But with it that way, looking from the front the Oil Tube is angled slightly downward so I wonder about that. Except for the length of the lead wire to coil, I don't see why the Dist Oil tube couldn't be positioned at the 3 o-clock position. But that's just me wondering out loud.

 

[JMOR]

Unless some part of distributor hits some part of engine in rotating/positioning it, it could be anywhere in the full 360 degrees. No requirement for any specific position.

 

[Two0aks]

I forgot to mention that my coil is original I think. Terminals are embossed "Batt. & Dist. with a dimple that aligns with hole in clamp.

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley RIP]

You have the best source with JMOR's advice and his PICTOGRAMS and also using the OEM Owner's Manual. Unfortunately the I&T FO-19 Service Manual is disappointing with
only about a third of the pages that the FO-4 manual has. The Electrical System is only one page. It does have setting timing with both the timing light and without. In
my opinion, they should have included the 19 in with the 4 manual as a complete N-Series document. I don't know if this helps you but here is the MPC exploded parts view
page for the 53-54 distributor. I've heard of guys forgetting to install or losing the clip, p/n 12213 but don't know how it affects operation.

Tim Daley(MI)

 

[Two0aks]

Thank you Tim. Great exploded view of the Dist and JMOR is a trusted sourch too.
Regarding the clip, it is very important for that to be in place. Without it the rotor moves back and forth a fair amount plus it just flops around on the shaft.

But I must persist and be the squeaky wheel about orientation. When installed as JMOR's photo and my pre restore photo both have the Primary around 6 o-clock position. However with it that way the oil fill tube is angled downward, so If you were to squirt oil into it you might get some to the shaft with the remainder sitting at the fill cap. With mine this way there is room to unsnap the inboard clip, but need a screwdriver to get it back on.
Wondering in Oregon
Bill

This post was edited by Two0aks on 09/29/2022 at 04:12 pm.

 

[JMOR]

Like I said before, you can position it where ever it suits you as long as it doesn't hit other engine parts when adjusting timing, etc. Same basic block NAA, hundred series, and early thousand series and various models Owner's Manuals do not all show same orientation. Here is NAA and a 2000 Owner's Manuals for example.

 

[Two0aks]

I redid it and went with oil tube about 7:00 o-clock Pos. My prefered position wouldn't allow me to get a wrench on the aft hold down bolt.

The other main issue I'm having it is the rotor position relative to the #1 terminal. It just doesn't look right. The #1 Terminal is offset from the clip hold down, and with Flywheel exactly at 8 and points at .025" the rotor is not in line with the terminal but very nearly past it. It appears everything is as it should be, rotor clip installed. I just can't figure why the rotor if not inline with the #1 cap terminal. I'll send pictures later today. I was very careful to make sure timing gear was aligned with crank gear marks.

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 11:11:08 10/01/22) I redid it and went with oil tube about 7:00 o-clock Pos. My prefered position wouldn't allow me to get a wrench on the aft hold down bolt.

The other main issue I'm having it is the rotor position relative to the #1 terminal. It just doesn't look right. The #1 Terminal is offset from the clip hold down, and with Flywheel exactly at 8 and points at .025" the rotor is not in line with the terminal but very nearly past it. It appears everything is as it should be, rotor clip installed. I just can't figure why the rotor if not inline with the #1 cap terminal. I'll send pictures later today. I was very careful to make sure timing gear was aligned with crank gear marks.

hen up to speed, the centrifugal advance will result in firing about 24 degrees earlier and I expect the alignment may be closer then.

 

[Two0aks]

As always thank you for your help.

Watched a guy on youtube show rotating his Dist with battery hooked to coil and plug in plug wire and #1 cap location with plug grounded he was able to rotate his distributor and make the plug fire. I'm gonna try that, but I have to pull my Fergy battery. Don't have a spare 6V.

As with my ferguson (Positive Ground) I'll ground the +side of Batt, and power the coil from the - Neg side.

Report forthcoming

 

[Two0aks]

No spark
Tried the trick Ed's Garage showed on youtube. With Cap,rotor,and dust shield off and Batt Voltage(Negative side Batt) applied to Batt side of coil (it's marked Batt & Dist), and +Batt V jumper clipped to Distributor I could rotate Dist and open & close points and have spark there. Hi Tension lead will spark to block if I briefly touch Dist side of coil to Batt Positive (ground).
When I had the distributor out a long time ago I can't remember if I removed the cam and counter weights to clean, nor can I remember how they went back in but suspect there was a locating pin somewhere. Maybe there is more than one way to reinstall the mechanical advance.
Cap is what came with tractor and no carbon on inside terminals. Rotor brass is clean.
Don't know what else to check or do. Not spending for another distributor since this one worked 11 years ago.

 

[Sean in PA]

Not spending for another distributor since this one worked 11 years ago.

Are you saying that the tractor hasn't run in 11 years? Have you tried the trick with touching the primary of the coil to the battery with each of the 4 spark plug wires in place of the center high tension wire to see if they all will spark to ground?

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 22:07:56 10/02/22) No spark
Tried the trick Ed's Garage showed on youtube. With Cap,rotor,and dust shield off and Batt Voltage(Negative side Batt) applied to Batt side of coil (it's marked Batt & Dist), and +Batt V jumper clipped to Distributor I could rotate Dist and open & close points and have spark there. Hi Tension lead will spark to block if I briefly touch Dist side of coil to Batt Positive (ground).
When I had the distributor out a long time ago I can't remember if I removed the cam and counter weights to clean, nor can I remember how they went back in but suspect there was a locating pin somewhere. Maybe there is more than one way to reinstall the mechanical advance.
Cap is what came with tractor and no carbon on inside terminals. Rotor brass is clean.
Don't know what else to check or do. Not spending for another distributor since this one worked 11 years ago.

o, what is your problem? You said you have spark. It won't start or what?

 

[Sean in PA]

So, what is your problem? You said you have spark. It won't start or what?

I think that he said that he can see a visible spark at the points with the cap and dust cover off, and that with the distributor assembled he has spark from the center of the coil through the high tension line directly to ground, but that he has no spark to the spark plugs, which is why I asked whether he has tested the individual spark plug wires.

 

[Two0aks]

Thanks Sean

Hopefully this is my final post on this.

As for the 11 years, the engine is completely renewed. Pistons,rings,rods,bearings,valves, the works. Crank reground and cam profiled. New points,rotor,condenser, plug wires & plugs. I'm aways from starting it but wanted to static time it first. Engine was at rebuilder 4 years awaiting machining. I reassembled it last winter.

I did sort of as Sean suggested. Hooked up Coil as normal install. Remote Batt Neg to Coil Batt. Pos batt to engine ground. Short lead from Coil Dist post to Points post. Install Hi Tension lead in coil and while holding end close to ground rotated Dist till points opened and good spark. Installed #1 plug wire with plug grounded to engine and this time got spark at plug. Only thing I did different was remove breaker plate & advance weights and rotated them 180. I don't think it should matter but I guess it did. Got a few more things to install before test start.

Thank you all for offering your wise advice on my Distributor issue. I hope some of this may help others.
Bill