Am i setting up my timing right????

[MaRu_GT]

So I am using ACTRON digital timing light to set up my timing. I was checking out today the timing and it was showing on the digital screen that the mark on the crank pulley is at 16 deg. I am attaching 2 pics here for my crank pulley and the mark is just aligned when the timing is on 16. So am I reading it right??? (Look at pic: timing2; there where I see the line)

With my mods.. and if what I am reading is right.. is 16 deg something good?? Also, I am reading the RPM from the digital timing light as 860 at idle. I have disconnected the spout while checking the timing.

 

[4rdnut]

Set the timing at 10 degrees before top dead center and yes you are timing it correctly in the pics. You don't need 16 degrees of timing, you won't see a magical increase in horse power, keep it right on 10 degrees and your engine will thank you, a engine that pings is destructive and thats what you will get with 16 degrees of timing.

 

[jrichker]

Looks like you have the correct technique. Here's some tips to make make it easier...

Setting the timing:
Paint the mark on the harmonic balancer with paint -choose 10 degrees BTC or 14 degrees BTC or something else if you have NO2 or other power adder. I try to paint TDC red, 10 degrees BTC white and 14 degrees BTC blue.

10 degrees BTC is towards the drivers side marks.

Note: setting the timing beyond the 10 degree mark will give you a little more low speed acceleration. BUT you will need to run 93 octane to avoid pinging and engine damage. Pinging is very hard to hear at full throttle, so it could be present and you would not hear it.

Simplified diagram of what it looks like. Not all the marks are shown for ease of viewing.

ATC ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '!' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' BTC
---------------- > Direction of Rotation as viewed standing in front of the engine.

The ' is 2 degrees.
The ! is TDC
The ' is 10 degrees BTC
Set the timing 5 marks BTC. Or if you prefer, 5 marks towards the driver's side to get 10 degrees.

To get 14 degrees, set it 7 marks BTC. Or if you prefer, 7 marks towards the driver's side to get 14 degrees.

The paint marks you make are your friends if you do it correctly. They are much easier to see that the marks machined into the harmonic balancer hub.

At this point hook up all the wires, get out the timing light. Connect timing light up to battery & #1 spark plug. Then start the engine.

Remove the SPOUT connector (do a search if you want a picture of the SPOUT connector) It is the 2 pin rectangular plug on the distributor wiring harness. Only the EFI Mustang engines have a SPOUT. If yours is not EFI, check for a SPOUT: if you don’t find one, skip any instructions regarding the SPOUT
Warning: there are only two places the SPOUT should be when you time the engine. The first place is in your pocket while you are setting the timing and the second is back in the harness when you finish. The little bugger is too easy to lose and too hard to find a replacement.

Start engine, loosen distributor hold down with a 1/2" universal socket. Shine the timing light on the marks and turn the distributor until the mark lines up with the edge of the timing pointer. Tighten down the distributor hold down bolt, Replace the SPOUT connector and you are done.

The HO firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8.
Non HO firing order is 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8

 

[MaRu_GT]

Sorry guys, i didnt mention my Mods- i thought that they are showing in my sign:
302 CID BOSS BLOCK (9.0:1 comp ratio) with GT-40X Alum Heads and B-Cam (Crane/FRPP Roller rocker 1.7 ), 24# FRPP inj, 190LPH FP, PRO-M 75mm MAF, Accufab 70mm TB, Cobra 93 intake, BBK CAI, MSD coil-cap-rotor-wires, HEDMAN headers, Magnaflow x-pipes and catback, 3.73 R&P, Eaton Diff, Alum driveshaft, King Cobra clutch, FRPP flywheel, March UD pulley set, PM 130 Alt, Fluidyne Alum radiator, high volume Alum water pump, Flex-A-Lite Black Magic Extreme 15" e-fan “Puller”, 2 Perma-Cool e-fans “Pusher”

 

[MaRu_GT]

Set the timing at 10 degrees before top dead center and yes you are timing it correctly in the pics. You don't need 16 degrees of timing, you won't see a magical increase in horse power, keep it right on 10 degrees and your engine will thank you, a engine that pings is destructive and thats what you will get with 16 degrees of timing.

I think you will need to look at my mods again.. because with 10 deg I dont feel my mods are playing togather.

 

[MaRu_GT]

Looks like you have the correct technique. Here's some tips to make make it easier...

Setting the timing:
Paint the mark on the harmonic balancer with paint -choose 10 degrees BTC or 14 degrees BTC or something else if you have NO2 or other power adder. I try to paint TDC red, 10 degrees BTC white and 14 degrees BTC blue.

10 degrees BTC is towards the drivers side marks.

Note: setting the timing beyond the 10 degree mark will give you a little more low speed acceleration. BUT you will need to run 93 octane to avoid pinging and engine damage. Pinging is very hard to hear at full throttle, so it could be present and you would not hear it.

Simplified diagram of what it looks like. Not all the marks are shown for ease of viewing.

ATC ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '!' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' BTC
---------------- > Direction of Rotation as viewed standing in front of the engine.

The ' is 2 degrees.
The ! is TDC
The ' is 10 degrees BTC
Set the timing 5 marks BTC. Or if you prefer, 5 marks towards the driver's side to get 10 degrees.

To get 14 degrees, set it 7 marks BTC. Or if you prefer, 7 marks towards the driver's side to get 14 degrees.

The paint marks you make are your friends if you do it correctly. They are much easier to see that the marks machined into the harmonic balancer hub.

At this point hook up all the wires, get out the timing light. Connect timing light up to battery & #1 spark plug. Then start the engine.

Remove the SPOUT connector (do a search if you want a picture of the SPOUT connector) It is the 2 pin rectangular plug on the distributor wiring harness. Only the EFI Mustang engines have a SPOUT. If yours is not EFI, check for a SPOUT: if you don’t find one, skip any instructions regarding the SPOUT
Warning: there are only two places the SPOUT should be when you time the engine. The first place is in your pocket while you are setting the timing and the second is back in the harness when you finish. The little bugger is too easy to lose and too hard to find a replacement.

Start engine, loosen distributor hold down with a 1/2" universal socket. Shine the timing light on the marks and turn the distributor until the mark lines up with the edge of the timing pointer. Tighten down the distributor hold down bolt, Replace the SPOUT connector and you are done.

The HO firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8.
Non HO firing order is 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8

Thanks for the tips. When I got the engine from FRPP they said that they assembled and balanced the pulley at 0, and from there I do my timing using the digital timing light. I was just confused because i posted this issue earlier in allfordmustangs forum, and someone saw the 2nd pic and said that you are reading 16 degrees advance plus the 16 on the balancer,so 32 total,,, and that I need to balance my pulley.

 

[MaRu_GT]

by the way.. the 2 timing pics are as the engine running and timming light pointing to the balancer.