Position of rotor--Magna Spark upgrade

The Magnaspark kit SHOULD have come with the light silver+light silver springs installed. The springs and bushings affect the rate of advance and dictate when the distributor reaches max advance. With the heaviest springs installed it won't reach max advance until 5500 rpm and if you install the weakest springs and bushings the car will reach max advance at 2500 rpm. If yours came with the blue springs installed you'll have to change them.

Here's the install sheet if you didn't get it:

https://www.cagero.com/dl/modell/22985/Manual_EN.pdf

Set it up so the rotor is on the #1 plug wire at TDC, start it and turn to adjust. If it won't start, turn it and try to start it until it does start. These electronic ignitions can be a little misleading to set up. Get her idling. Turn the disty until the idle is best. 

Everyone here like to use a timing light and set it to about 28-32 degrees at 3000, which should be max advance (see above post). Set it at 30, warm it up, drive it, find a nice hill and lug it up the hill in 3rd gear. Listen for that rattle can sound that says "ping" detonation/preignition. If you hear it, back off the throttle, downshift, head home and reduce the timing to 28. If you don't hear it, try 32 degrees if you want. 

Says I HAVE to use a degree pulley guess I'm changing out the stock pulley? Isn't there an issue with degree pulleys rubbing against the sheet metal? Will I have to pull the sheet metal and trim--anyone have some pics???

My mistake--the medium light silver are installed from factory--not the lightest blue springs. Not racing the car--just cruising.

You really don't have to spring for the degree pulley..It's easy to do , bring the motor up to TDC with #1 pointing the the mark in the dizzy,  then mark 90 degrees on the pulley ( @ 3 O'Clock)  divide that by 2 = 45, divide again by 2= 22.5 then you can figure your 30 degree BTDC max and mark that. Or, buy a $3.00 plastic protractor with degrees printed on it.

Sounds like the disti drive pinion got dropped in a tooth or two off and that's why your rotor lines up with the scribe mark around 7o'clock.  No big deal and the disti really doesn't care so you can just leave it there.

The alternative is to get a really strong shop magnet, slide it down the disti drive hole and try to get the pinion drive gear out (it has to rotate anti-clockwise about 90° as it's coming out).   Once it's out, "glue" it to the bottom of the distributor drive shaft with a small glob of automotive grease, rotate the rotor to about 2 o'clock and gently slide the whole shebang down into the drive hole to catch the gear on the camshaft.  If you're very lucky the drive gear will not separate from the pinion drive and will engage with the camshaft gear and slip into place, finally lining up with about 4 o'clock.  Sounds easy, but can be exasperating, trust me.  If it were my engine, I would live with #1 at 7 o'clock on the disti housing.

Did someone mention ....Clock?  I've been able to remove a dizzy drive with a pencil, just tap it once into the center of the dizzy drive gear so it just gets snug & catches the drive  then... as you wiggle the crank pulley bolt slightly L & R lift up on the pencil ..........   " Drclock's " ...Tip Of The Day~

Alan the "surgeon" is in the house. Going to leave it where it is at--you know what happens when you open a can of taters! Didn't get into it today because the master cylinder was calling me. Sure is nice to keep knocking items out---makes for fewer gremlins down the road. Yup have the protractor going to get a white marker or some white out--old schoolin again.

Is that a #2 Ticondaroga pencil or a BIC "Click" mechanical, Dr. Clock?

I 'spose, either way, I better write that down as the "Tip o' da Day"! 

And a "Tip of the Hatlo Hat" to Mr. Merklin, compliments of Jimmy Hatlo!  

Wish Jimmy was still around to draw a cartoon for Dr. Clock!

Or maybe a "Car" related one:

re degree wheel: get a degree timing light instead. 

Not every distributor has the location of #1 in the same place. Just set the engine so it's on TDC on #1. Put the #1 wire where the rotor is pointing and then 1-4-3-2 clockwise.

^ That.

This is the second or third post in the last six months regarding this. Point the rotor at number 1 (with the engine at TDC on the compression stroke on #1) and be happy.