Quick Olds timing queston

[KCTA Chris]

Father inlaw just called. They have a stock '50 Olds up at the shop and need the timing specs. Any one know? Is this the one that has to be timed off the flywheel? Any help mucho thanks.

[yorgatron]

on my '54 there's a notch in the crank pulley,one side of the notch is TDC and the other side is 5% BTDC.my motors manual ('51) says "between two steel balls on crankshaft pulley".hell,everybody knows Olds has balls! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[DrJ]

Ditto. pointer between the balls..
The 48-back flathead 8s & 6s had the flywheel mark.

A LOT of those old Olds dampeners spin. check your TDC on the dampener and set your timing in relation to that. I had a '55 that was spun 30º! the next owner set it to the marks and boy was he sorry. I started at TDC nd advaced it till it pinged on WOT and backed it off till it didn't, then painted a line on the dampener.
(and then drove it as a daily for twelve years without touching the timing, or the carb again. If it ain't broke....)
hard to say how many actual degrees is correct since it's just balls...

[KCTA Chris]

Thanks guys. Exactly what I needed.

[DON_WOW]

49 had balls === 50 had one slot on pully no damper leading edge or bottom of slot is 5 advanced top is 0 set time with vacume on dist unhooked