I was cleaning my wires that connect to the spark plugs, replacing the plugs and  replacing my cap & rotor and now I have forgotten which order the wires connect back to the distributor cap!!

Can anyone take a quick look and see which wire goes which cylinder?  Also how are the cylinders numbered?  If standing at the front the the vehicle, looking forward at the engine, the closest cylinder to you (the one requiring the longest wire from the cap) is which number?

I've taken a picture so you know what I mean:



I numbered them that way just for reference...so which cylinder is #1 actually for and so on?

firings order 1-3-4-2

Distr cap is marked with #1 and direction of rotation in most cases

Zag

Looks like you marked the #1 in the right spot.
rotation is clockwise, if that doesn't work right
#1 might go where #4 is, but not unless the
distributor has been removed, piston location
front to rear 1,2,3,4

Wild

My stupid cap doesn't actually say the numbers...

Looks like you marked the #1 in the right spot.
rotation is clockwise, if that doesn't work right
#1 might go where #4 is, but not unless the
distributor has been removed, piston location
front to rear 1,2,3,4

Wild

Ok i'm going to to try

Oh crap I've tried both ways and it's not working.

It's not Ohh crap, it's just different

Did you make sure the coil was plugged
into the cap   Have you done any other
changes, did you change your coil ?

OK here is what you do next, start with
#1 on the cap, and #1 wire to the front
cylinder, that is the normal way it should be.

Now switch wires, move #1 across the cap to the
opposite side, do the same for the other 2 wires,
this is called 180 out, where the dizzy is in the wrong
way, 180* from where it should be

If this doesn't work, come back here and I'll go thru the
timing steps with you, but it's a little hard to do in a post

Damn it almost ran...no I didn't change the coil.

I'm going to try those instructiosn you just posted.

It still won't work.  Is there anyway someone can just use the numbers I havein the pic  there, follow the wires to where it end's up in each cylnder?

i.e. : So my number 1 (in the pic) would lead to the first cylinder

OK, front cylinder is #1, to #1 in your pic
next back is #2, to #2 in your pic
next back is #3 to #4 in your pic
next back is #4 to #3 in your pic

Damn it almost ran.

sounds like you just had 2 wires right,
180 out wouldn't almost run

It still won't run.  I really thought it was going to work now when Wild posted that last message...I just don't get it.  Everything is fastened and tight.

OK  PITA time 

You have to pull off the valve cover
and remove the distributor cap, BTW
did you put back the rotor when you
changed the cap ?

Yeah I put in a brand new rotor in.  I was placed in the same poistion as the old one.  I don't think it can be put in wrong, it only connects in a certain way.  Pull the valve cover off?  I don't know how to do that...Oh man I'm going to have to call a mechanic...I messed up bad today...

This is just freaking me out, it's never done this before. 

Continuation

turn the engine with a 17mm socket
and ratchet clockwise until you see
the timing mark at the marks on the
belt cover

reach to the #1 rocker arms, they should
both be loose enough to hear a slight tick
as you pull them up and down

If one is tight, turn the engine again until
you see the timing mark on the pully line up
with the marks on the cover, both the rocker
arms should now make the tick sound

When you hear the tick sound, the #1 piston
is a TDC (top dead center) firing, this is where
the #1 wire goes, follow above instructions to
finish, or follow in a clockwise circle from the #1
next wire is #3, next is #4, next is #2

If it doesn't run after this, I have no Idea what you did

 

Wild