timing marks

[josecruuuz]

i've installed a pertronix and would like to dial in the timing. a) do you usually try from the top or under the car? either way it's a bitch to get the light to hit the window in the flywheel housing. b)the manual is telling me that the #1 cyl is the front one and to use it to set the timing. either this is wrong or there is no mark on the flywheel. the book says there is a ball on the flywheel that's used as the mark. can they fall out? any suggestions or information will be greatly appreciated.

[RallyBob]

Definitely check from the top.

What is your idle speed at? A high idle will cause the distributor to advance, enough so that it won't be visible at the flywheel.

Lastly, did you remove the vacuum advance and retard hoses and plug them? That will alter the timing too.

If it's still not within view of the pane at the bellhousing, then it certainly needs to be adjusted, since it's obviously far off!

HTH,
Bob

[opelnut10]

Remove #1 spark plug,take coil wire out of the top of the dist., put finger over spark plug hole and bump the engine over on the starter until you feel compression coming up, take dist. cap off and check if rotor is pointing at or near #1 wire position. Put the car in fourth gear and rock forward or backward until you get the ball on the flywheel up on the pointer in the block window, take car out of gear and turn on ignition switch, loosen dist. hold-down, hold the coil wire over to ground and rock the distributor forward or backward until you get a spark. Stop,lock down distributor, turn off switch, replace cap on distributor and plug in the coil wire, you are in time. If your car has an automatic transmission you will have to put it in neutral and rotate the engine by hand to get the ball in the window then follow the above directions.

[Bill Hoffmann]

Another possibility is the distributor advance and retard vacuum hoses are reversed. This was the case with a car that showed up at Carlisle this year. The flywheel ball was nowhere to be found until that was straightened out.

The factory setting is made by aligning the ball with the pointer with the vacuum hoses disconnected and ports plugged (idling under 900 RPM). It will run better with a little timing advance - I usually end up with the ball near the bottom of the window instead of on the pointer. An easy way to set the timing (or check it quickly) is to just leave the vacuum hoses connected and align the marks. That will add about 5 degrees of advance because the vacuum retard will be in operation. When set up like this, if you pull the vacuum retard hose the ball will jump to near the bottom of the window.

Bill

[josecruuuz]

still unable to figure out a way to get a light and my eyes on that damn hole to shoot the timing. can't see how anyone thought that was a good place to put that. anyways, i just set it by advancing it till it did'nt want to run and then retarding it till it didn't want to run and then putting it in the middle of that( the same way you set the fuel mix on amal carbs). it seems to be running great, but will feel better when i figure out how to shoot it. thanks for all

[gr_diver]

Try to make a new mark on the crankshaft's pulley. With the engine off, rotate it with a 19mm socket until the ball is opposite the pointer. Then find at the timing cover, below the distributor a pointer that "points" to the pulley. Using a chisel make a new mark on the pulley's side closer to the engine, put a dab of paint on both pointer and new mark, and adjust from there.

I agree that finding the ball on the flywheel might be tricky, but with a helper and a flashlight I think you will make it...

Good luck!

[opelwasp]

Try to make a new mark on the crankshaft's pulley. With the engine off, rotate it with a 19mm socket until the ball is opposite the pointer. Then find at the timing cover, below the distributor a pointer that "points" to the pulley. Using a chisel make a new mark on the pulley's side closer to the engine, put a dab of paint on both pointer and new mark, and adjust from there.

I agree that finding the ball on the flywheel might be tricky, but with a helper and a flashlight I think you will make it...

Good luck!

You dont have to get the ball opposite the pointer. #1 TDC and #4 TDC are at the same point. If you have it timed off the wrong one will determine if you use spark wire #1 or #4 though for your timming light.

[gr_diver]

opelwasp, I can't really understand what you are saying...

There is only one ball on the flywheel, which meets the pointer every time #1 & #4 are at U-TDC, on each stroke. And it is the very same ball that you see whether you have your timing light at either #1 or #4 spark lead. So it doesn't really matter which cylinder will be at the compression stroke when he will be making the mark. And it will not affect to which spark lead he will be connecting the timing light afterwards.

Isn't this all right?

I propably haven't understood what you meant...

[gr_diver]

Oh now I see, propably that "opposite" word I used was confusing... I didn't mean on the opposite side, it is just that in greek (my mother tongue), we sometimes use the equivalent word of "opposite" as well for "in line"....


Was it that?

[houserc]

Try to get the timing light to hit the timing window with an EFI installed and then see the ball lining with the mark. THAT's tough, but makes a difference in how the car runs.