Timing

Found the timing mark,but nothing to adjust it to on my 71 Mav Grabber No marks. Can adjust the distributor by sound, what's best? Higher RPM's or slower? Any suggestions to get it timed Correctly?

 

What exactly can't you find?

There should be a timing pointer bolted to the block right over the harmonic balancer. The harmonic balancer should have numbers marked on it. Can you not find the marks on the balancer? If so, take a closer look, they are not very clear - a good cleaning may bring them to light.

If you find the marks on the balancer, slap on a timing light to #1 and slowly rotate the distributor either way to get the pointer dead on the correct value (I forget what it is, but you can find that in any decent repair manual or someone here will chime in) and you are good to go. Some people do adjust by ear, but it takes a well trained ear. I suggest investing in a timing light if you don't already have one.

-Corbin

 

corbin is right. If you do decide to tune it by ear just listen til it sounds like it is running its best. It will be close but not perfect so you should get a timing light on it. The pointer I bealive points to the left side of your main pulley.

Take a paint pen, carefully inspect the pulley for a timing mark and mark it. It may need cleaning. The mark will make the timing SOOO much easier.

And sorry for thread jacking but corbin. You got a pm

 

i time mine to a...light ping...at heavy load (just before dropping into passing gear).... may not be ...right... but that's where i feel i have the most timing for ...top performance...
if you have any mods to the motor, you can throw the book setting out the window. on...new motor start up...i set the dist. dead on #1 and go from there...

...and if this is incorrect, could be because...i didn't...stay at a ...Holiday Inn Express ...last nite...

...Frank...

 

something I found helps a lot. when you find the timing marks, take some white, yellow, orange paint on your finger and rub the paint into the marks and numbers. Then wipe off ther area with a cloth.
The paint stays in the marks but rubs off the balancer. contrasting color helps in seeing it a LOT

 

...and if you have a...multi spark ignition... you don't want to use a ..variable setting...timing light. :Handshake

...something i read... (in the H.I.E. lobby)

...Frank...

 

Thanks, everyone! Found the timing pointer, had to duck really low to see it, Does anyone know the timing value?

 

stock is 6 degrees before top dead center, many of us run 10, I personally run more since our low compression engines take a lot to make them ping.

I ran it so high on my last motor that the distributor almost touched the radiator hose...

 

hey guys when i put on a new timing chain i forgot to put the timing marker back on when i reassembled everything now damned if i can find where it went. can anyone post a pic and give me an idea where it goes?

 

Scooper's right on with this. Stock setting is retarded...................litterally. Every motor I've had was happiest set at anywhere from 10*-14* BTDC.

 

If you can limit your mechanical advance to 10 crankshaft degrees the smallblock Ford will live happily with 24 degrees of initial advance, The problem is that most distributors have between 20 and 26 degrees of mechanical advance built in so you are limited to between 10 and 16 degrees of initial advance if you maintain the safe maximum of 36 total.