Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

[Jack P.]

Firing order of a GM 327 V8 . 18436572 Easy yes . New spark plugs/ wires / rotor cap, rotor, put in car last night.

What could I do wrong after 43 years ?

Does the rotor turn clockwise or counter clockwise? You may ask why the question?

Terrible things can happen with the wrong answer.

[Michael W.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

Neither- the rotor cap doesn't turn at all. The rotor goes clockwise, but only if the engine is turning over. Lemme guess- took ALL the wires off at the same time?

[Jack P.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

Yes I did, I took all the wire off, I am a pro and know what I am doing , right ? Look, I was cursing and bleeding from the shielding that had to come off,


(reason why I threw out the original stuff 43 years ago) (very bad for maintenance , you put it off because of the shinny stuff hurting you).


Oh..back to story, so the car needed a tune up. Took everything off, put in new stuff and now comes the part about the wires.


I know where number one is right ? No problem, right next to the window, one to the left, the same one I hook the timer light on , set rotor to when I take out mill , etc.


I run all the wires through clips, up and down, around and through all the hoops. I got them all labeled , 1 - 8 .


I put 1 in 1 hole. All seems good, now this is where things go funky. I remember the engine crank goes counterclockwise, or so I think , or don't think, the rotor must go that way also..right.


Now you get it. Nice labeled wires , 1 into 1 . 8 into 7 4 into etc etc ect. I put them all in order backwards. Counterclockwise.


I am feeling very good about the job being done.


I get in car and turn key. It starts ! runs really bad for a few seconds and I turn it off. Hummmmm... I turn key once more, not good good, feels like engine wants to go the other way.


I stop before anything bad can happen.


I get out the books, I look at the intake , it says the order , the book tells me it is right.


I keep looking at the diagram, and then I look and see that number 8 going in the cap to the right of number 1 not the left (CC).


The light goes on ! I thought the rotor went CC and wired it that way.


I did it the right way and turned the Key. Purrrrrrrrrrrr......


Life is good, and once my hands stop bleeding, I will put back the shielding.


Just one more exciting day in the life of the Corvette Vagabond.


Jack

[Bruce B.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

Really simple.
After you insert the key in the ignition which way do you turn it to start the car?
To the right, clockwise.
Everything on the engine turns clockwise on the early cars.
Some of the later serpentine belt water pumps turn counterclockwise.

[Jack P.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

Really simple.
After you insert the key in the ignition which way do you turn it to start the car?
To the right, clockwise.
Everything on the engine turns clockwise on the early cars.
Some of the later serpentine belt water pumps turn counterclockwise.

The truth, I was tired to jump in the car, turn the motor over and look at the rotor movement, it just seems so right at the time............

Lucky for us, we usually know something is wrong in about a second or two and we shut things down before anything bad happens. I posted this just in case someone new to the life, now knows what not to do !

Maybe I though I was in England again.......

Jack

[Terry M.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

Jack, take comfort in knowing that it happens to all of us at one time or another -- and those who say they haven't ever mixed up the spark plug wires either hire someone else to do their work or they are liars.

Might I suggest you put a newer LS motor in there. Now days there is one coil per plug and the coils are on the rocker covers. Those are a lot harder to F up.

[Michael J.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

I only did that once (take all the plug wires off without marking them). When I was 15, never, ever happened again....

[Stuart F.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

I'm still having trouble accepting that engine rotation being referenced to the drivers seat. But, but, but, what about the front wheel drive cars with transverse engines? The what?????

Stu Fox

[Terry M.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

Ever own a boat with two inboards?

[Bruce B.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

Terry,
Both clockwise and counterclockwise???
Port counterclockwise,
Starboard clockwise.
Is it done with gearing?

[Terry D.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

Bruce,, on older boats the one engine runs in reverse rotation, takes a special cam etc. on newer boats it is the transmission that reverses the rotation

[Bruce B.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

Terry,
Interesting.
I figure the reversing through a transmission would be easier (not easy) then a reverse rotation engine.
Bruce B

[John D.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 is your friend....

[Michael G.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

Here's a tip to make things easier in the future:

Get yourself a marker with UV ink and a UV flashlight. (they're available on line, like everything else) The ink is invisible, unless you use the flashlight, so you can label everything, even on a judged car. Put 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 on the cap towers. Put the cylinder number on both ends of the wire, on the boots. Unless you run out of batteries in the flashlight, you really can't screw it up and nobody else knows its there.

I even use it to mark the damper in 90 degree increments, so I can easily line up the timing when I adjust the valves.

[Mike M.]

Re: Clockwise ? Counter Clockwise ?

mike: KC and i just purchased, online, a pair of Wood's lights. we will be checking your 63's . regards,mike