HELP! My Ghetto Timing Method, Will it work?

[conartist]

I need to retard the timing 4 degrees on my stang to pass the smog test.

The problem is that I don't have a timing gun!

So here's my idea, make a cardboard cutout of a 1/2" thick ring that will fit exactly around the shaft of the distributor. Get out the trusty old protractor and mark lines 4 degrees apart. Scribe a notch on the distributor base and then rotate it between the lines on the cardboard.

Questions
- will a 4 degree rotation of the dist. shaft equal a 4 degree timing change?
- which direction, clockwise or counterclockwise is advance and retard?

Thanks

 

[cobradvm]

Clockwise is advance, anticlockwise is retard - other than that you are on your own!

Good luck.

Howard

 

[ECU5.0]

dude, a timing gun cost like 30 bucks at advance auto......just get one, it will be a lot easier than havin to bust out a protractor to adjust your timing

 

[FiveO]

 

[IMPORTSMOKER]

make a cardboard cutout of a 1/2" thick ring that will fit exactly around the shaft of the distributor. Get out the trusty old protractor and mark lines 4 degrees apart. Scribe a notch on the distributor base and then rotate it between the lines on the cardboard.

c'mon man...this is a joke right?? your ASE certified or something right??? Although it is a funny one...

 

[HISSIN50]

oh my.

 

[MahFiVeOh]

 

[timewarped1972]

if i may ask, if you have no timing light how do you know it needs to be retarded 4 degree's to begin with??
actually if it were 4 degree's you could scribe a line on the distributor and the manifold and rotate it counter clockwise about 3/32's and thad be about 4 degree's......thad be the easy ghetto way to do it.....lol.....you would'nt be trying to con us car guys, would ya, conartist?....lol

 

[ThatStangGuy]

Dude,
i have one here at the office in windsor. if you still need one, you can borrow mine. I don't have any tools here though. if interested, pm me and i'll shoot my phone number over

ger

 

[freakazoid]

ignition timing is relative to the crank shaft, recall that the timing pointer on is on the crank and the balancer is scribed. best thing is to use a tiimg light. After you pass the smog test you can prove out your distributor degree theory. Let is know how it works !

 

[jerry beach]

Someone marked my dist. base and the block with a hammer and screwdriver. When I put my dist back in, I used those marks to line it up exactly where it was. When I put the timing light on it, I was off by 4 degrees. So no, that wont work at all. Get a timing light, and buy a decent one, not the cheapest you can find. Good luck.

 

[BlackGT89]

Questions
- will a 4 degree rotation of the dist. shaft equal a 4 degree timing change?

Also, the distributor rotates at half-crankshaft speed. Either way it certainly wouldn't be very "precision". Here is an interesting article on ignition timing even though it's pre-computer related.
http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2000/03/timing/index.shtml