Classic/Antique Car Repair: 1953 Mercury distributor, spark plug wires, cap boots

Question
I bought a 1953 Mercury in 1998 and have been driving it on and off since then. I just realized the distributor is wired upside down. Is that okay or is the distributor 180 deg. off? Should I pull it and turn it right? The motor idles good and the timing marks are right on. It does misfire when I rev the engine, though but that may be too rich of a gas mixture? It runs smooth when driving on the road.

Thanks for your help,
Dick

Answer
If the firing order is correct, and the #1 terminal corresponds with the proper timing mark and leads to the #1 spark plug, it generally doesn't matter which terminal on the cap is selected to be #1. However, pre-cut ignition cable lengths may make one terminal more convenient to use.

The misfiring could be caused by cross-firing between two or more spark plug wires, or across the distributor cap. Be sure the cap is clean in and out, wires are in good condition, properly booted at both ends, and use separators to keep them from touching. Try not to cross them when routing--easy on a flathead engine. It wouldn't hurt to use some space-age dielectric grease around the cap boots, either!

--Paul