Distributors Chry 318 and Crusader 270
Posted: Fri May 01, 2020 12:21 pm
This may get a bit windy. My 84 Tri-Cabin has 270 Crusaders and for 2 years or more have had difficulty getting them to run correctly. I had both carbies rebuilt by expert Cliff Ruggles and idle was perfect but port engine would backfire over 2200 RPM. Double checking timing and wiring all was perfect but still bad behavior on Port engine. So Swapped the distributors after examining both have the same gear on the bottom and are exactly alike. Incidentally the same distributors will work in 454 engines. After swapping the starboard now behaved badly so I knew the distributor was causing the trouble. Both distributors had been converted from a Mallory points to pretronix ignitor. The trouble was in the centrifugal advance.
Bought two bran new protronix flamethrower billet distributors and set the base timing and used the silver springs which came in the distributors. Magic all works well now getting 3700 RPM (should be more but me thinks due to prop, weight and dirty bottom). At the same time struggled with the divorced choke spring mechanism which I bought new. They were wrong, took apart and reversed to correct mode and now no warm start flooding and when docking after a long run both engines can be depended on to not die at a bad time when backing in.
Bottom line all carb people tell you be sure distributor and timing is right. I will testify to that my problem is solved.
Lets talk about camshaft rotation with our reverse and normal rotation engines. Hopefully you can see the attachment so you can understand how the cam rotation works on various engines. Chrysler 318 engines (Search and see picture of cam gear on this website) the cam gear is different for each engine and is not pinned to bottom of distributor but stays in the engine when distributor removed. (Careful if taking out a Chry distributor as the gear can be dropped into the engine. But in any case as in the Crusaders both distributors turn the same direction.
I tried to attach a diagram in PDF but website will not allow, or I am too dumb to get it to work. In any case the document is a diagram of 4 engines indicating several ways of turning the cam shaft on both reverse and regular rotation engines. They are basically two ways using chain and sprockets and using gears. In case of my 270 crusaders the reverse engine uses gear drive and ergo cam turns the same as standard rotation so distributors are the same and can be switched.
Incidentally Bob of Beacon explained why the port engine is the reverse rotation on the Tri=Cabin and the International. It is due to Trojan's desire to use the 1.91 to 1 ration gear boxes and they only come with a reversing gear in the gear box so in only these boats revers engine is on Port side and Standard is on Starboard.
Bought two bran new protronix flamethrower billet distributors and set the base timing and used the silver springs which came in the distributors. Magic all works well now getting 3700 RPM (should be more but me thinks due to prop, weight and dirty bottom). At the same time struggled with the divorced choke spring mechanism which I bought new. They were wrong, took apart and reversed to correct mode and now no warm start flooding and when docking after a long run both engines can be depended on to not die at a bad time when backing in.
Bottom line all carb people tell you be sure distributor and timing is right. I will testify to that my problem is solved.
Lets talk about camshaft rotation with our reverse and normal rotation engines. Hopefully you can see the attachment so you can understand how the cam rotation works on various engines. Chrysler 318 engines (Search and see picture of cam gear on this website) the cam gear is different for each engine and is not pinned to bottom of distributor but stays in the engine when distributor removed. (Careful if taking out a Chry distributor as the gear can be dropped into the engine. But in any case as in the Crusaders both distributors turn the same direction.
I tried to attach a diagram in PDF but website will not allow, or I am too dumb to get it to work. In any case the document is a diagram of 4 engines indicating several ways of turning the cam shaft on both reverse and regular rotation engines. They are basically two ways using chain and sprockets and using gears. In case of my 270 crusaders the reverse engine uses gear drive and ergo cam turns the same as standard rotation so distributors are the same and can be switched.
Incidentally Bob of Beacon explained why the port engine is the reverse rotation on the Tri=Cabin and the International. It is due to Trojan's desire to use the 1.91 to 1 ration gear boxes and they only come with a reversing gear in the gear box so in only these boats revers engine is on Port side and Standard is on Starboard.