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Reverse Rotation V6 or at least the distributor seems to

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by MHaver, Nov 17, 2008.

  1. Nov 17, 2008
    MHaver

    MHaver When people get bored

    Boyne City, Michigan
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    Mar 15, 2008
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    One of the Prestolite distributors spins backwards from the other three offered. not sure how to adentify, but they are out there. i currently have one in my jeep, cost 300 used back in 85 when dad had to find a new one. Not sure what makes them spin backwards, whether it is the cam gear/dist gear, or what, but there were a few that made it into 225 engines
     
  2. Nov 17, 2008
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Re: Delco vs. Prestolite

    Do tell, the FSM makes no mention of this that I've ever seen. There's only one cam gear for the 198/225/231 that I know of.
     
  3. Nov 17, 2008
    Hurstjeepster

    Hurstjeepster New Member

    Helena, Montana
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    Re: Delco vs. Prestolite

    I am not sure what he is describing, but I have seen these Buick motors used in marine outdrive applications from the 1960s. A twin outdrive setup may have used a reverse rotation engine that was the source of the distributor in question. bg
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2008
  4. Nov 17, 2008
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Re: Delco vs. Prestolite

    Ahh, I bet you're right, these were used in marine applications. That would be why the FSM doesn't mention it.
     
  5. Nov 17, 2008
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Happy Valley, OR
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    12,529
    Re: Delco vs. Prestolite

    Only issue I see here is the whole motor was counter-rotating which means if used in a standard early CJ with a 3 speed, you'd have 3 speeds in reverse and one forward speed (reverse gear in the trans) as the motor actually ran backwards. In marine applications these were used to counter the torque of a standard rotating motor. Think of a V-drive prop powered boat with a single engine and how the hull twisted in the water and "crabbed" while driving through the water. The counter-rotating motors were designed to help cancel this out. Have run into Chev 4.3 V-6 and 5.0 and 5.7l V-8's built this way as well.

    To answer the question of a reverse distributor other wise, well, I can't.

    There should be no issue physically of changing a Prestolite to a Delco distributor. The ignition wires should swap over no issue. I'm not sure about the need for a ballast resistor, that would be determined by the coil you currently have.
     
  6. Nov 18, 2008
    Walt Couch

    Walt Couch sidehill Cordele, Ga. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    cordele, Ga.
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    Re: Delco vs. Prestolite

    Wouldn't the vacuum advance have to be connected to the opposite side of the breaker plate? Otherwise it would go to retard on a reverse direction dist?
     
  7. Nov 18, 2008
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    *moderator's note*

    Split from original topic, was getting off topic.
     
  8. Nov 19, 2008
    MHaver

    MHaver When people get bored

    Boyne City, Michigan
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    The informaton i provided about the reverse distrubutor was information my father told me when i aquired the jeep from his uncle. When my dad was in need of a new distributor back in the mid 80's , he wasn't able to get a replacement because the distrubutor worked backwards from the other ones used by jeep. He was given a delco disrtibutor by the parts guy, along with the other ones avalible, but they weren't the same, so he didn't try it. (they threw out his old one, so he was forced to find a used one instead of driving it as is)He was able to aquire a used one out of an ad in the back of Outdoor Life magazine, and the guy told him it was one of the lesser used distributors. he also mentioned that it worked backwards from the other ones used. as far as i know, it is the original engine to the jeep, but our family aren't the original owners, my grand father aquired it use in the late 70's from the original owner, so it is possible that the engine had been swapped.
    I have a Delco distributor out of a 225 from a commando, so when i get to re gasketing the motor, i will pull the distributor and take pics side by sid and try to figure out what the difference is.
     
  9. Nov 19, 2008
    jhuey

    jhuey Michigan Jeeper!

    Indian River...
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    Not sure of the reason to reverse the dist rotation. But if it did and the wires were put on in the firing order it wouldn't matter. I guess what I trying to say it is just a fancy switch. Now as far as marine applications a reverse rotation engine wouldn't quite work in a Jeep requiring standard rotation. You would have three reverse gears and one fwd:shock:. I would be interested in seeing the distributor though, sounds different.
     
  10. Nov 20, 2008
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    A picture of the distributor gear will tell you if its a reverse rotation or not. There's nothing else needed to tell this.
     
  11. Nov 20, 2008
    scott milliner

    scott milliner Master Fabricator

    Seattle Wa.
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    The counter rotating Marine engine crank runs backwards. The cam still rotates in the same direction, because of the use of a cam gear instead of a timing chain. The firing order is also different. I don't think there is any difference in the distributors. IIRC.
     
  12. Nov 20, 2008
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    I don't think it does on the 225, I have an old OMC book that has the 225 in it and the service manual shows a chain not a gear setup.
     
  13. Nov 20, 2008
    scott milliner

    scott milliner Master Fabricator

    Seattle Wa.
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    Well tells you how much I know.:rofl:
     
  14. Nov 20, 2008
    MHaver

    MHaver When people get bored

    Boyne City, Michigan
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    I'm interested to find out. i'll pull the distributor tomorrow after work and find out. who knows, it could have been a story told to justify the price.
     
  15. Nov 22, 2008
    MHaver

    MHaver When people get bored

    Boyne City, Michigan
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    Well, i pulled the Prestolite distributor and slid in a Delco without any problems. Asked Dad about it again and he claims the guy said it worked backwards of the other three. He figures it was the oddest of the ones offered, and didn't think to try any other ones to see if would run.
    Sorry for the misinformation, and any greif it may have caused.
    Matthew Haver
     
  16. Nov 22, 2008
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    :beer:

    No Problem Matt!
     
  17. Nov 24, 2008
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Happy Valley, OR
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    :iagree:

    Don't sweat it. When you get info from other people's memory's, you never know what is really accurate. Not to say your Dad's memory wasn't good, but you never know if what he was told was accurate. Run into that almost daily. :beer:
     
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