Ok, I am good at some things, and not others... I've never had to index and reinstall a distributor before. I believe that the reason that I am having problems with the engine is because I did not reinstall my dizzy right the first time. Please watch this video with my question about reinstall:
Well I put it all together tonight and did the timing and I think I have a problem.
I can time it using plug #1 just fine, and when I switch over to plug #2 I see a different timing mark. It is one of the two smaller ones. Is this incorrect?
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08:18 PM
p8ntman442 Member
Posts: 1747 From: portsmouth RI Registered: Sep 2003
Remember that you also want the distributor base oriented so you can hook up the cables to it. Other than that, your procedure seems correct. In theory you could make any post the number 1 but it is best to set your distributor up like it is in the service manuals, that way the next owner will not get confused. If your engine starts, runs real rough and you can't set the timing correctly, your distributor could be 180 degrees out, because the engine wasn't really at TDC. In that case just pull the distributor out, turn the rotor 180 degrees (to point to the number 4 cylinder post of the distributor cap) and you should be alright.
I have a question about the timing marks on the harmonic balancer. There are 3 of them. One large one that has been painted white and two smaller ones that have not been painted.
When timing Cyl. #1 I was able to set the white large mark on 10* easily. Then when I switched over to cyl #4 the white mark was gone and all I saw was one of the two smaller timing marks, but it was at 10* also.
The easiest way is to put the timing light on the coil wire. The timing light will fire with every pulse so you can average #1 and #4 without having to switch back and forth. I'm betting you saw the other mark because the timing light was on the wrong plug wire.
The slim marks are a way of setting valve lash. Each mark will be TDC for each cylinder in turn since each cylinder fires every other revolution. So the fat mark is TDC for #1, rotate until the next skinny mark comes up and that is TDC for #2, rotate again to the next skinny and TDC for #3, then when the fat mark comes around the second time it's TDC for #4. Rotate more for #5 and #6. Make sense? So when setting lash with #1 at TDC, the valves are both closed and you can adjust the rocker arms correctly. Rotate to the next skinny mark and set the lash for #2 and so on.
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12:24 AM
buddycraigg Member
Posts: 13437 From: kansas city, mo Registered: Jul 2002
I have a question about the timing marks on the harmonic balancer. There are 3 of them. One large one that has been painted white and two smaller ones that have not been painted.
When timing Cyl. #1 I was able to set the white large mark on 10* easily. Then when I switched over to cyl #4 the white mark was gone and all I saw was one of the two smaller timing marks, but it was at 10* also.
Is this supposed to happen?
Yes. The three marks on the harmonic dampener (note, it's not a balancer) correspond with firing events for each cylinder since the crank's throws are 120 degrees apart. The service manual says to check timing on 1 and 4 since they share the same timing mark. I've never seen a crank that was mis-machined enough for the #1 and 4 timing to be off by a degree even, so I don't worry about it.
Thanks for all the replies and help! I have the timing set really well now, but I am still fighting with driveability issues due to the dual TB intake setup. I'll get it eventually!!
