17 replies to this topic

[Danny Boy]

As the title says how do i do the timing accuratly with out using the notch on the crank pulley (which me engine does not have) and without using the flywheel inspection plate which again my car does not have!! I have done it as good as i can by ear but it still missfires when i put my foot all the way down on the accelerator please help!

[icklemini]

why has your pully not got a notch? - all standard pullys have one.

if you need to make one, then you will have to get the engine to TDC on the compression stroke on #1 cylinder and make a suitable notch (on pully), and pointer (on timing case). You can then use a timing light with advance function to set timing...

if its missfiring its probably fuel related rather than timing...

[Ethel]

How did you end up without any timing marks???

If the engine has the pulley with the counter balance weight there will be a timing mark.

The key groove in the crank should be at 12 o'clock when No 1 cylinder is at TDC and the timing marks on the crank and cam timing gears will line up. You'd have to remove the timing chain cover to see them but the alternative is to accurately measure the the piston travel.

[Danny Boy]

How did you end up without any timing marks???

If the engine has the pulley with the counter balance weight there will be a timing mark.

The key groove in the crank should be at 12 o'clock when No 1 cylinder is at TDC and the timing marks on the crank and cam timing gears will line up. You'd have to remove the timing chain cover to see them but the alternative is to accurately measure the the piston travel.

pretty sure there is no notch seamed wierd to me as well!! but you say that i could make my own notch by getting no.1 piston to tdc and putting a mark on the crankshaft pulley in the 12 o'clock postion and then use a timing light? or have i missed something?

[dklawson]

No, you haven't missed anything.

You said your pulley has no notch. This could be an early A-series engine with a later gearbox. Do you at least have a timing pointer on the timing chain cover?

If you don't have a pointer, start with making one. You can use some sheet metal and bend it into an " L " shape. Punch two holes in the short leg of the L that will allow you to use two of the timing cover bolts to attach the L to the front of the engine. Trim the long leg of the L to form a pointer that can be positioned near the pulley. After that you need to make a TDC mark on the pulley. The best way to do this is make an offset probe (using heavy steel wire) and attach the probe to a dial indicator. Use the offset probe through the spark plug hole then... follow the guidelines you'll find in engine building guides to find TDC (read the sections dealing with cam timing). Once you've got TDC dialed in, carefully center punch the rim of the pulley immediately adjacent to the sheet metal pointer. After that, it's easier to buy an advance timing light (the ones with the adjusting knob) rather than making additional timing marks.

[Danny Boy]

Yes i do have a timing pointer. So just to clarify if i get my pistion to tdc and then make a mark that lines up with the first edge on the timing pointer i can then use a timing strobe. how do i know where 5 deg before tdc is? is each notch on the timing pointer 5 deg?

[dklawson]

Others will have to answer what the pointer graduations are. My car is early and it didn't have a pointer or timing pulley notches... only the flywheel marks. I made a simple pointer as described above and a single mark on the pulley. With an advance type timing light, you set the LIGHT to the desired number of advance degrees you want and turn the distributor to get the TDC marks to line up. So... you don't have to worry about other "points" on the pointer if you have an advance light.

[Danny Boy]

Others will have to answer what the pointer graduations are. My car is early and it didn't have a pointer or timing pulley notches... only the flywheel marks. I made a simple pointer as described above and a single mark on the pulley. With an advance type timing light, you set the LIGHT to the desired number of advance degrees you want and turn the distributor to get the TDC marks to line up. So... you don't have to worry about other "points" on the pointer if you have an advance light.

Thnks 4 ur help i might have to buy an advance type timing light then!

[icklemini]

Thnks 4 ur help i might have to buy an advance type timing light then!

thats what i said... :s

[Ethel]

someone should point out finding TDC isn't just a matter of cranking the piston up to its highest...

To do it accurately you're best finding two points either side of tdc, say when the piston is 1cm down the bore, marking those 2 points on the pulley then finding the midpoint between them which will be tdc.

If you're not using the late pulley with the counter weight you ought to consider doing so as having a damper will be kinder on the crank - it will also give you a timing mark.

by the way the peaks of the timing "teeth" are 4 degrees apart and the tooth nearest the back of the engine is TDC.

Edited by Ethel, 09 October 2007 - 12:21 AM.

[Ethel]

How did you end up without any timing marks???

If the engine has the pulley with the counter balance weight there will be a timing mark.

The key groove in the crank should be at 12 o'clock when No 1 cylinder is at TDC and the timing marks on the crank and cam timing gears will line up. You'd have to remove the timing chain cover to see them but the alternative is to accurately measure the the piston travel.

pretty sure there is no notch seamed wierd to me as well!! but you say that i could make my own notch by getting no.1 piston to tdc and putting a mark on the crankshaft pulley in the 12 o'clock postion and then use a timing light? or have i missed something?

Not sure I followed how you followed my post

Once you have got the crank at tdc you'd make your notch to line up with the TDC peak on the timing scale - not actually at tdc on the pulley, hope that's clearer.

[Danny Boy]

ok got it finally ill try it out when i get home this weekend thanks!

[dklawson]

someone should point out finding TDC isn't just a matter of cranking the piston up to its highest...

I sort of did mention that in my first post where I suggested referencing engine building guides on how to find TDC and using a bent probe rod (on a dial indicator) through the spark plug hole.

[Ethel]

someone should point out finding TDC isn't just a matter of cranking the piston up to its highest...

I sort of did mention that in my first post where I suggested referencing engine building guides on how to find TDC and using a bent probe rod (on a dial indicator) through the spark plug hole.

So you did I trust Danny reads things more thoroughly than me

I reckon you could get by without a dial gauge if you used something of fixed length to check the piston either side of tdc.

[Se7enS1ns]

I read a really simple way of doing this on an assembled engine. Fashion a pointer as detailed above. Any form of pointer will do. Whip out a spark plug and push a ratchet extension into the hole. Turn the engine by hand til it stops against the extension, and mark the pully in line with the pointer. Then turn the engine backward, almost one full turn until the piston once again stops against the extension, and mark the pully again.

Exactly half way between these two marks is a pretty accurate TDC mark. Bingo.