Technical #1 TDC query.

Not to hijack, but Santa Claus brought me one of these for my 11th Christmas. Nobody thought I could put it together, but I did. Mine had an electric motor to turn it instead of the hand crank. I don't think my Mom knew how much that model was going to influence my life. Almost 60 years later, still using what I learned there. Thanks for jogging the memory.

 

Yeah, this is pretty basic stuff. I have stabbed a distributor with out knowing if it’s compression or exhaust, see it it starts. If so, good, if not pull it out and rotate the crank 360 degrees.
I did this because on some engines the plugs are hard to get to. Just faster for me and back then time was money.



Bones

 

Well I did do it based on the feel the pressure method but it is running like shit. Before it was a simple vacuum leak issue. I've done this on a few engines before but this time it's causing me grief. Normally the crank is out of bounds when the dist is out. With the heads off it's no biggie. Anyway thanks for the replies. I think I'll just start over... This was after removing all the smog devices on this engine and living with PO "maintenance". I
The engine just idles kind of crappy and the timing marks are way off the pointer.

 

Did you put a timing light on it? If you did, and you timed it somewhere between 8 and 14 degrees BTC, with the vacuum hose off. You have the distributor stabbed right. Assuming your damper has not slipped. You may other problem.
Did you turn the manifold upside down with the carb on it to scrape the gaskets?


Bones

 

I static time all my engines. First pull the number one plug and rotate engine slowly until it blows your thumb off the number one spark plug hole. Next I find the markings on the pulley and rotate slowly by hand until the pointer is setting on (example) 8*BTDC. I then turn on the ignition key but do not turn over the engine. Loosen the distributor and with the plug in the number one plug wire, I ground out the plug on the engine or frame. Slowly rotate the distributor back and forth until the plug sparks. Rotate the distributor so it sparks as your going clock wise and as soon as it sparks, stop. Then going really slow until it sparks again while turning the distributor counter clockwise. The moment it sparks, stop and tighten down the distributor. Your initial timing is now set at 8* BTDC.
If you have a reality TV show, you can have 10 guys stand around and have it backfire threw the carburetor for a visual effect by having it 180* out.

 

FORTUNATESON, do I assume correctly that the timing gears etc were not changed, but only just the intake and dizzy without unbolting the timing gears?
correct?
If so, all you need is the timing mark on dampener lined up, and then note whether the Number One rockers are on overlap.
At the very moment that exh. rocker is just finishing closing and int. rocker is just starting to open, and ign timing mark is just about lining up on the dampener, your crank is ONE FULL TURN from firing, and Dizzy is 180 degrees out of time.
GREAT.
then... ONE FULL CRANK TURN, until dampener timing lines up again, and rockers are not moving, then THAT (top of compression stroke) is when you want the rotor to point to number One and the points to pop the spark.
....or did I read the question too fast?
thats the easy way I've always done it.... unless there's a mis-type I didn't see, and need to go back and correct

P.S. most, if not all, hydraulic lifters will bleed down in a few seconds, leading you to possibly think you are not at "overlap time", so you prob need to observe the rocker movements at the same time as you rotate the engine, not simply observe the rockers with the engine sitting still.
Post Post Script- often times when you think the dist lines up as you drop it in, the spiral curvature of the gears will turn the shaft a little bit on the way down, changing the rotor+timing from where you thought it was.
If that happens, you simply need to lift the dist and carefully move it one tooth, and drop it back in again. That should solve what I think you described.

WHY BE ORDINARY ?

 

Good tip on the sparking. Will try that. As far as reality tv that is when things are broadcast live and without a script, editing, and post production. What you refer to is BS!

 

You assumed correctly. Will try what you and others suggested. I really think that it just might be the "one tooth" out situation. I have never had this happen before and have tried to redo stabbing about five or six times. I know I'll get it but this is why I never let anyone near any engine I'm working on but this time I broke my own rule. As Henry V said, "once more into the breach!"