Classic/Antique Car Repair: firing order, jaguar s type, american mechanics

Question
I need to know the firing order and plug wire placement on distributor cap for a 1964 jaguar s-type. Im still not sure if its a 3.4 or 3.8.,so if you can provide both, that would be great, Thanks, Shawn

Answer
Hi Jusack,
If it is an "S" it is probably a 3.8 and the "S" had 3 SU carbs, but you can always tell by looking on the side of the block as Jag has large cast in numbers as to what size the engine is. As far as firing order all in-line 6 cylinder engines in all brands of cars is 1,5,3,6,2,4. As far as where #1 is in the cap, that depended on where it was timed at by the last person to go into the engine.
To locate #1 on your engine, pull #1 plug (Jag calls it #6) but that don't matter, You can call the front cylinder #1 like most American mechanics do. Put your thumb in the plug hole and rotate the crank by hand (with a wrench) until you feel compression. Then put a rod (any rod that fits in the plug hole and feel the top of the piston and rotate the crank until it is at the top (TDC) You are now at top dead center of the compression stroke, this is when #1 plug fires. Now pull the dist. cap and look where the rotor is pointing. It is pointing at #1 plug wire. Now, notice the direction the rotor was turning and that is the direction in the cap for the rest of the wires. 5,3,6,2,4. This works on every IN-LINE 6 cylinder engine in the world.
Not V-6s nor flat opposed 6s.
I hope this helps, let me know.
Howard