HEI swap- need and want help

[elcaminokyle]

I have a '78 elcamino with a wounded 305 that I have removed the HEI from. Before I pulled it out I found #1 cylinder and made a number one on the dist. cap just below the plug terminal and then cylinder number 8 and did the same thing and so on all the way around. Then I pulled it out. It has a new rotor, cap, coil, module, and plug wires. On my engine stand is a rebuilt 327 with vortec heads. Right now it is at TDC on the compression stroke. What do I do as soon as the two engines are swapped? I figure I don't want the distributor in the new motor until it is sitting safely in the engine bay. I know it needs some advance so it starts right up to break-in the cam. But I don't know how to do that so that it has spark advance before it starts.

 

[455OLDSMAN]

Your not really gonna be able to do much adjusting until its up and running. Leave the cap off the distributor and drop it down in with the rotor facing as close to number one as you can, assuming youve already brought the number 1 cylinder to TDC. Pop the cap back on .Leave the distributor hold down a little loose just enough so you can turn it while its running but it wont move around on its own. Try and fire it up. While its running adjust it so it sounds best then break in the cam. After the cams broken in then you can go back and fine tune it. You dont want to spend a bunch of time trying to time it while breaking in the cam.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

You will want to prime the oil pump before you install the distributor. It is unlikely it will just drop in as the distributor gear needs to mesh with both the cam gear and drop into the oil pump driveshaft. I usually have someone crank the engine while drop it in. You first want to get it close before yoyu crank the engine. Then you will need to get the engine to TDC on the compression stroke and put the distributor at the #1 position. This sometimes takes several attempts. It took me almost a half hour last time I had to do it because my HEI refused to drop. I have also had the distributor drop in under a minute too.