Timing Question - Timing Cover or Balancer switch

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68dart-sb

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A friend was very nice and gave me a 318 engine that he had. The time chain cover and balance and lower pulley were on the engine. I added other pieces and parts and struck the engine in my 68 Dart. I made sure the number one piston was at TDC, I made sure the distributor gear was lined up at the bolt hole near the number one cylinder. I then installed the distributor. I installed the intake manifold and the carburetor and fired her up.

She runs good, I set the timing by ear. Then I got the timing lite out, plugged the vaccume line, plugged the hole in the carb, set the idle, then I put the timing lite on it, and the timing is 37.5 degrees off?????

The timing lite showed that the timing was off 37.5 degrees?????

I did tell you that the engine runs good. Could the person who put the engine together have used the wrong timing chain cover, or the worng balancer and cause me to be that far off??

If I have the wrong cover or balancer what should the timing be off by???
 
The early and late timing tabs were on opposite sides of the engine, late is viewed from driver's side. Don't know how far they moved in degrees

The EASY way to check your timing mark will settle all arguments. Buy or build a "piston stop:"

http://how-to-build-a-pilgrim-sumo....eful-articles-by-members/piston_dead_stop.jpg

Disconnect the bat. ground, get a socket on the crank, and make sure the no1 piston is down far enough to install it.

Rotate the engine CW until it stops, and make a temporary mark on the balancer RIGHT under TDC on your tab

Now do the same, CCW

You'll have two marks some distance apart. True TDC will be exactly halfway in between.

Now, by using a thin tape, and carefully measuring (two or three times) around the wheel to get circumference, "do the math" to figure how many "degrees per inch." You can now scribe/ file marks on the wheel.

One way to do this is calculate 40*, and scribe the mark. MEASURE with your tape, not dividers, because you have to measure AROUND the wheel.

Next, take dividers, and divide the 40 in half, for 20, then in half again, for 10*. While you're at it, you can take your dividers set for 10* and ADD past 40 for 50.

Last divide again for 5. Note that by using dividers, you can check from "both directions" on two marks and confirm accuracy.

Of course the easy way out is just buy some "timing tape."
 
Thanks,

I will build an engine stop and start the process. Once I have the engine stop, I find TDC - CW (make a mark on the balancer) and TDC - CCW make a mark on the balance)and 0 degrees should be halfway between the two marks.

Correct???
 
A bolt on timing tab for a 273 might work. Moving the timing lights sense wire to a different plug wire might work too. never tried that. Would be #8 or #2.
 
RedFish,

you are saying to use the orgininal mark on the balancer and change the location of the timing tab??? That maybe a possiblity.

Thanks,

Sam
 
Just pull the timing up until it spark knocks on part throttle accelleration up a slight grade and then back off till it quits.
 
I was just thinking... take a close look at your balancer. It may have separated and slipped.
 
68dart-sb said:
RedFish,

you are saying to use the orgininal mark on the balancer and change the location of the timing tab??? That maybe a possiblity.

Thanks,

Sam
Click to expand...

That may not work. The reason the timing tabs were changed is the water pump outlet was swapped from side to side. In other words, a tab which matches your old mark may be under the water pump / hose and you won't be able to see it "straight" from above.
 
I checked the balancer before I put the engine in it looked good, I think it is just mismatched parts, I am going to find TDC for the number one piston and make a new mark and call it done.

Thanks, Sam
 
.......where was the timing mark when u checked the gear pointing to #1 at tdc?........if the marks were lined up, and the slot in the gear was pointing to the intake bolt.......u dont have mismatched parts, u r either on the wrong wire to time it or ur t light is wacko......kim......
 
Kim,

I did not check the timing mark on the balancer. I put the #1 c at top dead center and put the timing gear slot pointed at the bolt hole near the head at number #1. I would know for sure if I would have looked down to see if the timing mark was under the indicator, my mistake. The motor runs good - the timing mark is just off - alot!

Sam
 
Please explain why putting timing light on #8 or #2 would help. I have the same problem with my 360 in 66Barracuda. Thanks
 
bbeep71 said:
Please explain why putting timing light on #8 or #2 would help. I have the same problem with my 360 in 66Barracuda. Thanks
Click to expand...

It wont, unless you use a positive stop to determine they match the tab (don't know why they would) or make a tab that WILL match one, and of course then you'd always have to remember "which cylinder" to time it on.

Neither will a dial back light help

Easy, right way, is to use a positive stop and just do it. Should not take you more than an hour, and when you're done, it's as accurate as anything you could do.

If all you want is TDC, easy way is to get the car "up" enough to crawl under it. Make your temp marks, then rotate the engine until the marks are down somewhere that you can look up from them underneath. Do whatever it takes to get a small square so that you can scribe nice strait line across the wheel, cut down a file if you have to to deepen it, clean it, paint it a contrasting color
 
.............What im saying is..........u cant possibly of " made sure" that u were at TDC if u never verified the mark is where it is supposed 2 b, or used a piston stop.........kim.....
 
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