I'm retarded -- how do I time my engine?

Timing an engine is not that hard. However, If you have that many basic questions, ask a friendly local mechanic to show you. (Do ya have a timing light yet?) Then you'll be timing w/confidence after that.

#1 is on the passenger side, the one nearest the raditator. Clip on your timing light on that wire. Point your timing light at the crankshaft damper, you should see a pointer down there and see the lines on the damper along with numbers 0, 10, 20, 30. Each line represents one degree. For stock engine with stock cam, it should be around 10-12 before dead top center (BDTC).

No need to take off the Dist cap. There's a bolt under the dist, loosen that, and rotate the cap - you should be able to see the timing change.

Good luck!

They firgot to mention to power your light by attaching it to the + battery cable. Gotta have juice. Also, to advance the timing, turn the dist clockwise. Now if you had an I6, you'd turn it CCW to advance.

first go get your stop watch......

http://www.gofastforless.com/ignition/advance.htm


I just timed mine. Make sure your #1 cylinder is at TDC, take off the dist cap and see if the rotor is pointing to the #1 terminal. If so, then you can proceed with timing. If its not, as was the case with mine, you then need to pull the distributor and reinstall it so that the rotor is at #1. The previous owner of my Stang didnt bother to do any of this, and I had running problems, and running too hot, too. . She is fine now that I did it right.

First of all, rotate the crank by hand till the timing pointer is aligned with the timing marks on the crank damper. If your water pump is a passenger side inlet, then the pointer will be on the driver's side of the timing cover ( this is the aluminum casting the water pump is bolted to) If the waterpump is a driver's side inlet, then the pointer will be on the passenger side. When you have the marks aligned , remove the dist cap and see which plug wire terminal the rotor is pointing to. # 1 is usually cast into the dist cap ( most times but not always) #1 terminal should be at the 1 o'clock position when you're facing the rear of the car. If the rotor isn't then, you may be at the 180 degree position from #1. The crank rotates twice for each revolution of the distributor and camshaft, so the timing marks on the damper will come around twice for each turn of the dist. A good way to test for #1 being on the compression stroke, is to remove the spark plug and stick your finger in the hole, then rotate the crank til you feel pressure against the finger. When you do, look at the timing marks on the damper and stop the crank when the marks are where youwant them aligned. If you want it timed at 10 degrees before Top Dead Center ( BTDC) then align them there. When you do, loosen the distributor hold down bolt ( this is the single bolt at the base of the distributor screwed thru a wedge shaped casting) then, turn the ignition key on, but do NOT start the motor. Replace the dist rotor and cap.Attach the #1 plug wire to the #1 plug with the plug removed and set where it's touching a ground source ( just about any part of the engine) Then Slowly rotate the distributor back and forth and watch for the spark. When the plug sparks, stop turning the distributor immediately and snug down the distributor hold down bolt. Replace the #1 plug and wire. Then fire the motor up, and , using the timing light, attached the way Ozsum67 recommended, point the light at the timing pointer, and pull the trigger, the light should illuminate the timing marks and the pointer should be right at the timing point you selected. If not then rotate the dist again while the motor's running ( watch the fan and belts ) and stop turning it when the marks are aligned with the pointer. It also helps to first clean the damper where the marks are, of all paint and rust, then using a piece of chalk, rub it across the marks, then wipe the excess off, white paint also works good here too. Hope this set of instructions helps,if I've left anything out, Y'all feel free to chip in.

Well, the first thing everybody left out is to unplug the vacuum hose from the vacuum advance and plug it with something like a golf tee.

One thing I noticed which is probably obvious to most but may not be to someone the first time they do this.

When you are adjusting the timing, you are rotating the entire distributor, not just the cap. The cap should be clamped down onto the body of the distributor during adjustment. Just loosen the distributor hold down as described above, and make small movements.

That's it.

Hack said:

One thing I noticed which is probably obvious to most but may not be to someone the first time they do this.

When you are adjusting the timing, you are rotating the entire distributor, not just the cap. The cap should be clamped down onto the body of the distributor during adjustment. Just loosen the distributor hold down as described above, and make small movements.

That's it.

Click to expand...

Obvious.

Max Power said:

Well, the first thing everybody left out is to unplug the vacuum hose from the vacuum advance and plug it with something like a golf tee.

Click to expand...

And the firt thing you are assuming is that he has a vaccum advance distributor, but he may have a mechanical one. Good point none the less though. Another tip, instead fo chalk on the timing marks, I have found that a good ole white crayola works the best. It fills in the crevices very well, lasts forever and the waxy shiny surface reflects the light nicely making it easy to see.

Pakrat said:

And the firt thing you are assuming is that he has a vaccum advance distributor, but he may have a mechanical one. Good point none the less though. Another tip, instead fo chalk on the timing marks, I have found that a good ole white crayola works the best. It fills in the crevices very well, lasts forever and the waxy shiny surface reflects the light nicely making it easy to see.

Click to expand...

Good sugestion, Pakrat, I never thought of using crayons, I'll have to try that.