riverstar Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Am I going crazy or what? The timing mark on my pulley has always indicated TDC on No1 and I have painted some white marks to assist when checking the timing which I did with a strobe light connected to No1 plug lead a month ago. I recently needed to replace the distributor and on starting the engine I found the the timing mark seems to have flipped and I now have to use plug lead No3 in order to read the timing marks. I am confused!!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 You need to start from the beginning. 1 - Get #1 pot to TDC on the compression stroke (rocker cover off and check that both #1 valves are fully UP. 2 - Mark the pulley with snowpak against the pointer - there may be a small hole or notch in the pulley. 3 - the 'D' shaped slot needs to point just left (forward) of #1 spark plug. You may need to rotate the oil shaft to align its slot. You need to measure the height of the drive gear to the top of the pedestal. When engaged the gear sits a little lower. 4 - the dizzy goes on top and the rotor arm should also point just left of #1 spark plug. Have you got a workshop manual? Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Firing order = 1342, if you are seeing the timing mark in the correct position using plug 3 (or 2) then dizzy is 180° out, but the engine cannot run like this ?? Bob. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ctc77965o Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Are you *sure* its plug lead No3? It could well be that plug lead No1 is where No3 used to be (Dizzy is in a different orientation) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
riverstar Posted August 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2015 I can only assume that for years I have been running with the pulley fitted 180 out and what what I thought was No1 compression stroke was in fact its exhaust stroke so when I fitted a new distributor and set it using a drilled out spark plug and balloon to set the TDC it appeared to flip when checked wit a strobe light. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted August 16, 2015 Report Share Posted August 16, 2015 That cannot possibly be - if you had the pulley 180 out it would align on bottom-dead-centre and as Bob says, the engine would not run. If you did the balloon test for TDC and set the new dizzy to fire on No 1 aligned with the timing mark it MUST work because you have set it to do so. Again- if you had got that wrong the engine would not run. It sounds as though your 'problem' may be that your timing light is lying to you. Have you tried a different one? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted August 16, 2015 Report Share Posted August 16, 2015 You could borrow mine !!! Roger PS - how many people have problems with timing lights. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted August 17, 2015 Report Share Posted August 17, 2015 Not me. Except once - recently - I was setting up the timing on my Bonneville, having just fitted fancy electronic ignition to it (electronic advance etc) could not believe how far out the timing was, & yet still running. I had forgotten to zero the advance function on the strobe light ! Bob. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.