I'm replacing the seals on my distributor on my 87 740GLE. This distributor is the one mounted on the back of the engine near the firewall. My engine is the non-turbo. I understand that there is some way that you can put the distributor in 180 out of proper alignment and I can't understand how that would be possible. If my new rotor is on the distributor shaft and basically in the number 1 firing position under the cap, in my case that would be just about in line with the hall sensor, then what in the distributor could be 180 out?
If you drive the pin out of the distributor shaft and take the distributor apart, is there something that you could get out of alignment there that would cause you to be 180 out?
If one of you guys could give me a detailed answer, I'd appreciate it. I'd hate to put this thing in the wrong way and have to take it out and reinstall it again, especially if it has something to do with disassembling the distributor.
Thanks for any help.

 

Impossible ~ it'll only go one way. I just replaced mine a few weeks ago.

 

Nice write-up here, with pictures.........
Volvo B230 Distributor Shaft Seal Replacement

The tangs on the drive "dog" are offset, so a properly assembled distributor will only fit the offset slot in the camshaft the proper way. If you managed to install the "dog" the wrong way on the shaft when reassembling, you'd find the rotor pointing at #4 instead of #1.

If it was pointing at #1 when you took it off, and it's still pointing at #1 now, then everything is fine.

 

Indeed... I went through the same thing when I did the timing on my 89', and was stumped for a sec, then I looked at my 91' after I TDC'd it and it supposed to look up....towards #1...the wierd thing about mines was that the timing mark on my camshaft was lookin down... but if u just took off the dizzy cap, then it does only go in one way...happy trails..