Expert: Brad Sears - 5/9/2008

Question
QUESTION: Can you please tell me the correct wiring order from each spark plug to each point on the distributor for a Ford 289 V8 mustang?

ANSWER: What year Mustang?
Brad

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sorry Brad,
It's a 68 mustang but the engine is I think around 1964-5.
Thank You.

Answer
Ok, you have kind of answered a question. The problem is that we do not know if the distributor has been out of the engine and put back in as it was when it left the factory. Take off the distributor cap and take out number one spark plug. Remove the small wire from the coil to the distributor cap. Stick your thumb over not in the spark plug hole and have some one bump over the engine until you feel compression. Stop. Now look at the distributor cap. All most all caps that I have ever seen for Fords have number one cylinder marked on the cap between the coil wire tower and number on cylinder tower. Match the cap with the distributor and if the cap was installed is the rotor pointing to that tower? If so good, if not use the tower that the rotor is pointed to as number one, that tells me that some one has had the distributor out and did not go back to factory alignment. The distributor rotates counter clockwise and the wiring goes 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8.
Brad