MSD E Curve Distributor

Posted By: Troy

MSD E Curve Distributor - 01/22/11 06:55 PM

Hello everybody.I have a question for you all.
A friend of mind is dropping in one of these new MSD E Curve distributor. It is a real nice looking unit buy I have one BIG question. According to the directions that came with the distributor you "drop in the distributor with the rotor pointing to the #1 terminal on the cap and then tighten down the distributor housing". That is all fine but they do not tell you WHERE to rotate the housing TOO and tighten it down. How does the distributor know when to send the signal to the coil and tell the coil when to fire??

Thanks everybody!!

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: MSD E Curve Distributor - 01/22/11 07:37 PM

I don't know troy , I wouldn't ASSUME it NOT as simple as that and timing must be initially set .

Posted By: AndyF

Re: MSD E Curve Distributor - 01/22/11 08:53 PM

The instructions must assume that you have the engine set to 20 BTDC on the firing stroke when you install the distributor.

Posted By: Troy

Re: MSD E Curve Distributor - 01/22/11 10:41 PM

Quote:

The instructions must assume that you have the engine set to 20 BTDC on the firing stroke when you install the distributor.

Hi Andy

The direction say to "set crank to 15 BTDC, drop the distributor in and line up the rotor to the #1 post on the cap and then tighten down the distributor hold down".

That is all good but how does the distributor know where the BODY is pointing to to set the timing??? On a Mopar Performance distributor I would do the same thing....bring the crank up to 15 BTDC but then I would line up the sater and the pick up before I would tighten up the hold down. This way I know that when I would start up the engine the timing is somewhere around 15 BTDC for the start up. With this E curve distributor there is nothing to line up ( there is no pick up, stator....nothing!!) Under the cap or the rotor.

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: MSD E Curve Distributor - 01/23/11 12:22 AM

Quote:

That is all fine but they do not tell you WHERE to rotate the housing TOO and tighten it down.

15 seems kinda aggressive (to me) for an initial setting but for 15 get the marks on 15 BTDC #1 compression as you know, then turn the housing until the vac can is roughly where you want it & has room to be moved back/forth AND line up the nearest reluctor vane dead even w the magnet slot AND the rotor is under (or close to being under) the cap terminal w the #1 wire. I'd maintain the factory vac can/#1 wire location for standardization. Lightly snug the base clamp & your ready to time it. EDIT (re)read your post & your already ahead of me

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: MSD E Curve Distributor - 01/23/11 01:40 AM

Quote:

Quote:

That is all fine but they do not tell you WHERE to rotate the housing TOO and tighten it down.

15 seems kinda aggressive (to me) for an initial setting but for 15 get the marks on 15 BTDC #1 compression as you know, then turn the housing until the vac can is roughly where you want it & has room to be moved back/forth AND line up the nearest reluctor vane dead even w the magnet slot AND the rotor is under (or close to being under) the cap terminal w the #1 wire. I'd maintain the factory vac can/#1 wire location for standardization. Lightly snug the base clamp & your ready to time it. EDIT (re)read your post & your already ahead of me

I agree with that procedure...

But this E-curve distributor does not have reluctor vane or pickup that you can see. That is the issue we are having. There nothing to line up? BTW, there is no vacuum can either.

Posted By: AndyF

Re: MSD E Curve Distributor - 01/23/11 05:01 AM

It knows where the rotor is pointing. Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine.

Posted By: Lew

Re: MSD E Curve Distributor - 01/23/11 04:14 PM

Quote:

Hello everybody.I have a question for you all.
A friend of mind is dropping in one of these new MSD E Curve distributor. It is a real nice looking unit buy I have one BIG question. According to the directions that came with the distributor you "drop in the distributor with the rotor pointing to the #1 terminal on the cap and then tighten down the distributor housing". That is all fine but they do not tell you WHERE to rotate the housing TOO and tighten it down. How does the distributor know when to send the signal to the coil and tell the coil when to fire??OK troy i am not going to be much help but this all i have for now, put it in like they say, it will fire up, we put one in this past fall, have not got to tune on it yet due to winter setting in on us, tuning appears to be easy once you get your head wraped around it.

Thanks everybody!!