["QUICK-SILVER"]

Originally Posted by TAQuest

I figured out how a person could get the timing set exactly how it was on my engine.

There's a dot above the crank keyway. He lined up that dot with the dot on the cam gear.

If I ever get too old or too smart to follow directions....

One of you guys please come down and slap some sense into me

Clay

[TAQuest]

Originally Posted by "QUICK-SILVER"

If I ever get too old or too smart to follow directions....

One of you guys please come down and slap some sense into me

Clay

You just do it over with a bigger cam. lol

[TAQuest]

I have been waiting for the second shoe to fall as they say.

First, I was plagued for years by a timing chain two teeth off. The previous owner who built the engine made the mistake of lining the dot near the keyway of the crank gear with the dot on the timing chain. I bought the car half way done and finished it. Always wondered why the engine didn't have the power it should. Wouldn't pull past @ 3500 rpm. Eventually I tore it down and found the timing chain problem. That was the first shoe to fall.

Now you would expect that when I put the timing chain right everything would be fine, I would be squealing tires and passing Mustangs for a good long time with a huge arse grin on my face.

But it wouldn't run at all.

The way I have always installed a distributor is to bring up the timing mark to 0 on the indicator and drop the distributor in and continue to finish putting it together. I'm either on or 180 off. If it doesn't run I re-set the distributor 180. Always works.

This time I had the covers off so I could see the rockers. I bring up the mark and see the rockers are even with each other so I assume they are closed and it's compression stroke. That's where I was wrong. The rockers look almost the same when at TDC on compression or exhaust stroke. So I was confident I was right when I was wrong. Bad place to be. That was the second shoe to fall. I learned that this morning by realizing that I was wrong and confident yet again on start up. At least now I know how and why I was wrong twice. Not going to do that again.

[steve25]

To confirm TDC and compression on cylinder #1 you should see #6 Exh open a good amount ,, or atleast with even a very very mild Cam the rocker if adjusted right will be tight since it's getting opened some.

[TAQuest]

What I do now is use one of the open fittings that came with my compression tester. I cut a finger off a thin rubber glove and fasten that over the end of the compression tester fitting with a rubber band. Install that in #1 cylinder. You will know when it's on compression stroke because it blows up the finger. That's my new 'go to' when installing a distributor.

["QUICK-SILVER"]

TDC During overlap both valves will move when you work the crank back and forth a few degrees.

TDC Compression the valves don't move when you work the crank back and forth a few degrees.

Clay

[steve25]

Yes, that's a good point to note also!

[tom s]

putting a small cork in the hole is more dramatic,shoots it across the garage!Tom

[TAQuest]

Originally Posted by tom s

putting a small cork in the hole is more dramatic,shoots it across the garage!Tom

That glove finger trick is exciting too. I didn't mention that it goes BANG if you got it right. If you want less drama then use a balloon.

[TAQuest]

Originally Posted by "QUICK-SILVER"

TDC During overlap both valves will move when you work the crank back and forth a few degrees.

TDC Compression the valves don't move when you work the crank back and forth a few degrees.

Clay

Right. I thought I was lucky when I looked down at the timing mark and it was already near zero and the valves looked closed. Didn't have to move the crank so I didn't see any valve movement. Super confident that I was at TDC on compression. Made it so I messed with the timing way more than I should have. Wasted a LOT of time.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by TAQuest

I have been waiting for the second shoe to fall as they say.

First, I was plagued for years by a timing chain two teeth off. The previous owner who built the engine made the mistake of lining the dot near the keyway of the crank gear with the dot on the timing chain. I bought the car half way done and finished it. Always wondered why the engine didn't have the power it should. Wouldn't pull past @ 3500 rpm. Eventually I tore it down and found the timing chain problem. That was the first shoe to fall.

Now you would expect that when I put the timing chain right everything would be fine, I would be squealing tires and passing Mustangs for a good long time with a huge arse grin on my face.

But it wouldn't run at all.

The way I have always installed a distributor is to bring up the timing mark to 0 on the indicator and drop the distributor in and continue to finish putting it together. I'm either on or 180 off. If it doesn't run I re-set the distributor 180. Always works.

This time I had the covers off so I could see the rockers. I bring up the mark and see the rockers are even with each other so I assume they are closed and it's compression stroke. That's where I was wrong. The rockers look almost the same when at TDC on compression or exhaust stroke. So I was confident I was right when I was wrong. Bad place to be. That was the second shoe to fall. I learned that this morning by realizing that I was wrong and confident yet again on start up. At least now I know how and why I was wrong twice. Not going to do that again.

The pic I have in my Motors Manual from 1970 of the Pontiac timing marks are 180deg off. I always set the distributor up on #6 and run it.
Not sure why its that way. I wonder how many flat tappet cams have been flattened by this over the years ? Gotta get that thing up and running fast.