- The engine will not start or will run very poorly.
- The engine will backfire through the carburetor or exhaust.
- The engine will have a rough idle and may stall.
- The engine will not accelerate smoothly and may hesitate or surge.
- The engine will ping or knock under load.
- The spark plugs will be fouled or damaged.
- The ignition timing will be off.
To check if your distributor is off 180 degrees, follow these steps:
1. Remove the distributor cap.
2. Locate the rotor button.
3. Turn the crankshaft until the piston in the number one cylinder is at top dead center (TDC).
4. The rotor button should be pointing towards the number one spark plug wire.
5. If the rotor button is pointing away from the number one spark plug wire, the distributor is off 180 degrees.
To correct the distributor, follow these steps:
1. Remove the distributor.
2. Rotate the distributor 180 degrees.
3. Reinstall the distributor.
4. Start the engine and check the timing.
Note: If the engine still does not run properly after correcting the distributor, there may be another problem with the ignition system.
