How to Turn the Distributor in a 1985 Camaro

You might need to turn the distributor in a 1985 Camaro to adjust the timing. The rotation of the distributor in the small-block 350 is clockwise. Turning the distributor clockwise retards the timing, and turning it counterclockwise advances the timing. If the 350 in your Camaro is not fuel-injected, and depending on the camshaft setup, you have a lot of leeway in how you set up the ignition timing. A common practice in street/strip cars is to pin the distributor at 32 degrees of advance -- full advance -- but this causes a hard start unless you have a high-torque starter and a good battery. You might want to turn the distributor to fine-tune the ignition timing whether or not it is pinned.

Things You'll Need

• Distributor wrench

Instructions

1. Loosen the hold-down bolt on the distributor.

2. Grab the vacuum advance on the distributor cap and turn the entire distributor just a little bit in either direction while watching the timing light.

3. Tighten the distributor hold-down bolt when you have the timing adjusted to your liking.

Tips & Warnings

• The vehicle is running while you are adjusting the timing. So never grab the cap where the spark plug wires are connected unless you know that the wires are not "leaking" spark, especially if you have an MSD or Jacobs ignition installed. The electricity that might be leaking from the wires will burn your hands and give you a severe shock that could cause bodily harm or even death.