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350 small block rotation?

1969futura28

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I have a 350 small block. The numbers on the block are 121514568 and K10 08 CTL. This is in my single engine Chris Craft. The boat is a 1969. The original owner died before I baught it. He was almost done installing the engine after rebuild. **** The problem I am having is the starter was inop so I baught a new one and they took my old one. This starter I have turnes the flywheel clockwise but the rotter button spins counterclockwise. Is this normal for a Chris Craft or a Chevy? Or am I turning the engine backwards? I can not get it started backfires and pops once in a while.
 
Chris Craft did some unorthodox things with regard to engine rotation and engine/hull orientation.
If memory serves me, even some of the single engine applications are unique to Chris Craft.

To answer or help you with the starter motor question, you'll first need to tell us which way the actual engine flywheel rotates, and as though viewing from behind (or rear of) the engine.
Now we're talking in terms of "Industry Standards" here.... not Chris Craft's version, just to be clear.
IOW, you will be standing at the engine, and viewing the flywheel end....., not the harmonic balancer or engine circulating pump end..... the flywheel end only.

You may also look at the teeth on the flywheel ring gear.
The side that is shiny, will be the side that has been driven against. This will indicate rotation also.

Just to give you a heads-up:
Marine/Automotive Industry Standards dictate that a flywheel that rotates CCW, indicates a LH or Standard Rotation Engine.
The same standards dictate that a flywheel that rotates CW, indicates a RH or Reverse Rotation Engine.... regardless of Chris Craft or any other boat manufacturer.
What Chris Craft did after that, was up to them. 350 Q or 350 QL..... does not matter.
Industry Standard is Industry Standard!

On another note..... all SBC ignition distributors rotate CW as per the engine oil pump. To my knowledge, there is no reverse oil pump.
Only the driven gear on the distributor shaft changes (and the camshaft drive gear) as to correct the distributor rotation for a RH engine..... (minus some internal changes to the thrust surface within the distributor itself.)


Here is a fairly recent thread on Chris Craft Engine Rotation topic, but involves twin engines. A 350 QL and a 350 Q.
The OP became upset that things were not going how he had hoped for. But the info is there.
http://www.marineengine.com/boat-fo...2-Engine-rotation-for-CC-1982-350-QL-amp-350Q

Again, your best method at this point, is to turn the engine in a direction that causes a CW rotation of the distributor, or look for the wear pattern on the flywheel ring gear teeth.
Either or both of these should tell you which hand it is.
 
Thank you Rick,

The flywheel is rotating clockwise now. The roter button is spining counterclockwise. Have you ever seen a left turning roter button? The prop on the boat is left hand if that has anything to do with it.

Thanks,
 
Rick,

Just read the thread with tumbleweed. Found info I needed. I started reading it a week ago and moved on because the conversation was cot going anywhere at the begining. I can see there he is coming from I have been talking to people by phone all over the country, reading info off internet fir a week +. There are so many conflicting stories ot there. Thanks alot for sharing your knowlage. I will change my starter and hope she fires.

Thank you,
Justin
 
Chris.... interesting how that works, eh? :D

deja-vu-5.jpg


Justin, it is actually very clear if you keep several things in mind:

1.... industry standards from flywheel end ..... CCW or LH is Std Rotation...... CW or RH is Reverse Rotation
2.... Chris Craft's system is at best, is Goofy! :mad:
3.... ultimately use industry standards if replacing an engine.
4.... resort to Chris Craft's goofi-ness for oddities such as Chris Craft's proprietary items.

Now, since I mentioned that the SBC oil pumps rotate CW, thus the distributor also must rotate CW, I think that this should be the case with your engine.
However, it may be possible that Chris Craft had a special oil pump built for these engines.
In which case your distributor may indeed rotate CCW, however, I've not seen one..... but I am not into the Chris Craft stuff.

Also, you may want to know that in the early days, often the special Reverse Rotation Engine camshafts were actually driven Std Rotation .... they simply drove the cam via a two gear system. In which case the oil pump and distributor remained standard rotation.
Not seen much today!

What does the wear pattern on the flywheel teeth suggest to you?


Also, if you were to reverse the standard firing order (1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2).... it then becomes 1 2 7 5 6 3 4 8 for a reverse engine.
If you were to follow #1 around, which cylinder follows #1?

(this is a standard SBC firing order)
2010-01-24_020841_firing_order.gif


.
 
I suspect CC's deviation from standards was for a short period only (i suspect for the vintage where engines faced aft). I had a 1969 CC Connie with 283's. Flywheels faced aft, strb was the counter rotater (and stated in literature) for standard rotation prop (RH).
 
There should be a special place in HELL for the morons who came up with that screwed up Chris Craft S B Chevy installation!

Jeff

Chris Craft setup-1.JPG
 
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Thank you Rick,
The flywheel is rotating clockwise now.
That would indicate a RH or Reverse Rotation engine.

The roter button is spining counterclockwise. Have you ever seen a left turning roter button?
No.... I have not on a SBC Marine engine....., but this is not to say that Chris Craft may have done something out of the ordinary.

The prop on the boat is left hand if that has anything to do with it.
No, not necessarily. Need more info re; how the engine is orientated in the hull.
I.E., Flywheel end facing FWD (V-drive, which I doubt... or front engine crankshaft drive) ..... or Flywheel end facing AFT (conventional transmission)

Thanks

Chris, he mentioned that the "roter button" was turning CCW. I can only assume that "button" means "distributor rotor".
What is the likihood of his distributor and oil pump rotating opposite from normal SBC direction?????

As I mentioned, Chris Craft did some goofy things in terms of deviating from industry standard.
One of which.... (and not just Chris Craft).... was to rotate the camshaft via a double gear set.... of which keeps camshaft rotation Standard..., of which keeps the oil pump and distributor shaft Standard for a RH Reverse Rotation engine.
(the other method is to cut the gear teeth differently)
So.... if he is trying to turn this engine in the correct direction, then why would a distributor and oil pump turn anything but Clock-Wise?

1961futura28....Question for you:
Is it possible that you are confusing the direction that this engine would rotate via the fywheel tooth contact wear pattern....., and then perhaps inadvertantly mistaking the distributor rotation?

Look at post # 6 again. This diagragm is for a standard rotation engine.
It makes no difference as to cylinder numbering... cylinder numbering remains same for either rotation.
However, the firing order would be reversed for a RH engine.
The distributor rotation should remain standard.... unless Chris Craft did something goofy here as well, of which would involve a reverse oil pump.

I think that you may want to re-visit the wear pattern on the flywheel ring gear teeth, and double check or verify intended rotation.
IOW, if you were to apply force to the shiny side of the teeth ONLY....., which direction would this rotate the engine?
.
 
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I just installed my new starter. I now have oil pressure. I am sure the engine is turning in the proper direction now with your help (thank you). The problem I am having now is that the starter is getting hot when I turn the key in the off position. I did not have this problem with the last starter. The wire from the battery selection switch is getting hot too. I am charging the batterys to full tonight. I have checked all my wires and thay look fine. Could this starter be bad? It will turn the engine over but hangs up and that is when it is getting hot (when it is stuck). Or could it be my batterys are not fully charged?

Thank you,
Justin
 
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