How do you make sure you have the right spark plug wires going from the distributor cap to the right spark plug on a 1978 Chevy 350?

Answer 1

hello there, first you have to have the rotor button pointing to the #1 cyl at top dead center. if you do not know where top dead center is then take the spark plug out of the #1 cylinder which by the way is the front spark plug on the drivers side. which is the plug closest to the radiator.then have someone bump the engine over quickly while your finger is over the plug hole this may take a few times and when you feel the compressed air blowing your finger off then the piston is coming up to top dead center "tdc" now your rotor button should be pointing at the #1 cylinder.when the rotor button is pointing at the #1 cylinder this means it will be pointing towards the #1 spark plug hole. the cylinders on the drivers side are #s 1-3-5-7 and the cylinders on the passenger side are #s 2-4-6-8 when you put the distributor cap on there is usually a #1 where your #1 cylinder plug wire goes which by the way the rotor button will be pointing at that plug wire connection on dist. cap then in clock wise rotation on the distributor cap they go on as follows 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 if the rotor button is pointing at the fire wall towards the passenger side the your distributor is 180% out of line and of course the oil pump shaft will not let the distributopr fall into place properly if they are not lined up. you may have to turn the oil pump shaft in the correct direction so your distributor will drop into place when pointing towards #1 cylinder. you should be able to do this with a long screw driver.