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225 help

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by mrw, Mar 18, 2008.

  1. Mar 18, 2008
    mrw

    mrw New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2008
    Messages:
    19
    New to the forum, glad to have found y'all.

    I have a jeep scattered all over the garage and just got back to working on it. It is the venerable 225 and i was going to convert it to HEI. I have ground off half of the front drivers side manifold mounting bolt and part of the intake and can now fit the distributor. I have checked with some info i found on the internet and it appears that it is in fact an odd fire distributor. Likewise I appear to have the correct 8 place distributor cap with a couple of blanked spaces. As for the coil, i can't say for sure. It is an MSD coil, but i think it might be too tall? It appears to not fit down all the way and completely compresses the spring on the button below. Any clue?

    After I got that all assembled, all it wanted to do was backfire. I checked with my timing light and it is vaguely timed correctly and all of the cylinders are firing. I suppose it could be time for a rebuild on the carb, due to some work stuff it's been sitting for the last 4.5 years... The backfires were out of the carb and the headers both.

    Any help appreciated. Obviously the pic is post frame, pre motor.

    MRW
     
    mrw, Mar 18, 2008
    #1
  2. Mar 18, 2008
    lynn

    lynn Time machine / Early CJ5 HR Rep Staff Member

    Huntingdon PA
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    3,437
    You verified your dist is an odd fire... did you use this resource?
    http://home.off-road.com/~merls_garage/oddfire.html

    The "star-wheel" on the shaft should only have 3 points for an OF dist.

    Beyond that... you've got spark, timing shows right... gas fresh?
    If all that's OK... then going after the carb is probably a good idea.
    I can't help on the HEI coil question, maybe some others can chime in.
    Did you open the spark plug gap for the HEI?

    Welcome aboard!! :tea:
     
    lynn, Mar 18, 2008
    #2
  3. Mar 18, 2008
    spud

    spud Nope..it's not finished!

    Augusta Co. Virginia
    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2003
    Messages:
    311
    Remember, HEI does'nt require a ballast resistor either!! Run a switched hot wire to the (+) postitive terminal on the dist.
     
    spud, Mar 18, 2008
    #3
  4. Mar 19, 2008
    66cj5

    66cj5 Jeep with no name

    NorthWest Indiana
    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2003
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    2,084
    sounds like the motor is not timed correcetly.
     
    66cj5, Mar 19, 2008
    #4
  5. Mar 19, 2008
    AKCJ

    AKCJ Active Member

    Fairbanks, Alaska
    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2003
    Messages:
    1,036
    I haven't had troubles with my HEI so haven't messed with it much.

    Have you tried moving the plug wires two spaces forward or back on the distributer cap?

    Coil. If you're getting spark at the plugs the coil may be fine. Maybe check out the MSD website? You can buy the spring and center button separately at NAPA if needed.

    Good Luck and let us know your progress.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 19, 2008
    AKCJ, Mar 19, 2008
    #5
  6. Mar 19, 2008
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2003
    Messages:
    5,475
    Verify you are on the compression stroke for TDC #1
    Make sure you have the ODD and EVEN number cyls pointing to the ODD and EVEN posts on the distro. You can not move an odd fire engine plugs one space – they must stay in the ODD – EVEN sequence.
    Check power level to the Distro
     
    Warloch, Mar 19, 2008
    #6
  7. Mar 19, 2008
    AKCJ

    AKCJ Active Member

    Fairbanks, Alaska
    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2003
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    1,036
    So that's how you tell without guessing and then moving them one space if you guess wrong.

    I suppose if you think about it that's the only way it could work - #1 goes to #1 (odd to odd) etc.

    The only catch is you have to get TDC @ #1 to start with and look at the rotor.

    Just thinking out loud.

    Thanks Warloch!
     
    AKCJ, Mar 19, 2008
    #7
  8. Mar 20, 2008
    mrw

    mrw New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2008
    Messages:
    19
    I think i got TDC on #1 and know i have the wires right, i've checked them about 20 times now... I am assuming i want the rotor to point at approximately the same place with an HEI on cylinder one that i want to with the old non-HEI? And anybody got any wire/plug/gap specs? Maybe i got some of those wrong.

    MRW

    PS. I tried dropping in the old non-hei setup again and it backfires just the same, i think i'm down to the carb rebuild option, but want to make sure i got the electrical side ok.

    Just as an aside: Aren't there two TDC's on a piston? No matter which i pick as near as i can tell. Just trying to get my head wrapped around the internal workins.
     
    mrw, Mar 20, 2008
    #8
  9. Mar 20, 2008
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Messages:
    9,221
    Honestly, it doesn't really matter, as long as your rotor points to the #1 position on the cap and then you get it timed it won't matter, it's usually dictated by the body of the distributor and how it fits with hold downs and how the vacuum advance fits with the fan. But that's a quick and easy way to get up and going with it.

    TDC would indicate to me 0* Top Dead Center. Otherwise it's on the exhaust stroke so technically yes but I wouldn't refer to it as TDC just to avoid confusion myself.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2008
    sparky, Mar 20, 2008
    #9
  10. Mar 20, 2008
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2003
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    5,475
    TDC - usually means on the compression stroke if the valve train is in the engine. When your building and there is no heads on either will work.

    I always mark my dist body where the #1 post is and line the rotor up to it when installing. As Sparky said - where in the circle this is does not matter - just hit that mark with the engine on TDC and it should fire and run.
     
    Warloch, Mar 20, 2008
    #10
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