When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My little darling 78 L48 has been through hell. Every task is a world of wonder. Seems prior butcher removed the timing mark indicator. Looks like he changed the harmonic balancer. Since it’s bright gold. Why is an unknown? The gold thermostat housing has kid written all over it! Anyhow pretty sure timing chain is good. Distributor moves back and forth smartly with crank. Engine now runs with rebuilt carb. Vacuum gauge reported late timing. Started to set up timing light. But the indicator normally on chain cover is long gone. No mark to shoot at.
I plugged dist hose and twisted dist to achieve best vacuum. While adjusting to hold idle speed. No tach yet. Soon. Once fairly steady around 16”. Worked mixture screws to gain vacuum. Running 18-19 at idle. Clearing carb each adjustment. She holds idle fairly well. Reconnected vacuum back to ported on carb.
jumping on gas secondary start to open.
car is on stands. With foot on brake she drops in and out of drive as expected. I think she will motivate around the block for the first time very soon. Original gas was dark amber!
My big question is how do I replace the timing indicator? From what I remember it’s welded to the timing cover? That means radiator and front of engine get removed.
You can get a bolt-on timing scale from most vendors. It fits below the water pump so it's easy to install. You just need to determine which one is right for your engine.
Bolt on. Wonderful! I will start the hunt! You are also the first person, besides us, to see the old girl on her old rubber once again. She’s going to the alley and around the block tonight. Only the titanic had less fanfare! Still along way to go. But go it shall!
Please don't just bolt it on and take it as gospel! Make certain you remove all plugs and find TDC on number one properly. Then and only then will you know for certain what your timing is set to. Look at idle timing, full timing and when and how much timing your vacuum advance can is adding. Also at what vacuum your can is all in. and what vacuum your engine idles at.
Lots of timing threads on here.
Or Contact Lars for his timing papers. He is very knowledgeable and helpful.
Most of these answers here are correct, but don't answer your question. Yes, getting a pointer and setting it correctly is the end solution. But your question is how to set timing without a marker. Here is my hillbilly answer because I have a few old cars without markers. You advance the timing to the highest idle then you retard it to get a 100 RPM drop in speed. This gets you in the rough neighborhood. Then you drive it. Do hard pulls and listen closely for pinging. If it pings, back it off.
Just buy the pointer. The only issue might be the diameter of the balancer if it is not stock. That will determine how far away from the crank the new pointer sits when it bolts up. And it can only bolt in one place. The car looks happy, like someone if finally taking care of her. Nice progress.
Having one shipped in as we speak. She’s come along way in 6 weeks. Dead hulk to she got her new dancing shoes yesterday. The sidewall rubber was like gator skin! 1980 tires where I bit nerve racking at 65! Let’s hope Goodyear is still good. Waiting for a new front hub! Seems 2 new wheel studs walked away and another played havoc with the dust shield.
nice shiny metal now. I’ve found a simple way to pull calipers. Plastic wire ties. Front and rear at ends of each pad. Channel locks to push the pad back. Wire tie to hold. I do open the bleeder to make the squeeze easier.
mince back on. Pump the pedal hold and burp bleeder. Hoping to plugs rotor and cap tonight.
Seems this ole girl goes to school Monday!
i don't crack the bleeder. i let the pistons bleed the lines backwards back into the master cyl. driving with backyard a-hole guesstimate timing. around the block maybe. no heavy throttle. that is when you can start roasting pistons cuz you are too advanced. another check is to look at valve rockers on #6 or 1 once you know where TDC is. as you rock the balancer back and forth through TDC, you will see the intake and exhaust rockers doing the see-saw thing. when you are in between the exh and intake stroke, the exhaust is just finishing closing as the intake is just starting to open. this will tell you if your timing chain has jumped a tooth cuz it has been in there as long as the tires have been on there. 36 tooth timing gear. each jumped tooth is 10 degrees. aftermarket 44 tooth gear is about 7 degrees. and if orig chain and sprocket, the nylon teeth are just as dead as the 40 year old tires. it is also possible the chain was done when balancer and timing pointer were messed with. but the line trust but verify? it applies except don't trust. just verify...
Last edited by derekderek; Aug 13, 2022 at 10:38 AM.
My shop just did something similar on a 81 Malibu with a 355 my customer inherited when his son passed . In our case the mark on the balancer was no where near the indicator so we did the small screwdriver in the number 1 cylinder and rotated the motor back and forth until we felt we had TDC close them painted a mark at TDC on the balancer , then I told the customer that it could be “off” a little but it gives a reference point to advance or retard a little from , in his case we were tuning for 87 octane since there’s over a dollar a gallon difference, the vehicle specifics were unknown but it does seem happy on the 87
install the piston stop and rotate the crank by hand until you hit the piston stop. Mark location on the balancer where pointer is. Rotate engine the opposite direction until it hits piston stop and mark location on balancer. Exactly halfway between the two marks will be TDC.
i don't crack the bleeder. i let the pistons bleed the lines backwards back into the master cyl. driving with backyard a-hole guesstimate timing. around the block maybe. no heavy throttle. that is when you can start roasting pistons cuz you are too advanced. another check is to look at valve rockers on #6 or 1 once you know where TDC is. as you rock the balancer back and forth through TDC, you will see the intake and exhaust rockers doing the see-saw thing. when you are in between the exh and intake stroke, the exhaust is just finishing closing as the intake is just starting to open. this will tell you if your timing chain has jumped a tooth cuz it has been in there as long as the tires have been on there. 36 tooth timing gear. each jumped tooth is 10 degrees. aftermarket 44 tooth gear is about 7 degrees. and if orig chain and sprocket, the nylon teeth are just as dead as the 40 year old tires. it is also possible the chain was done when balancer and timing pointer were messed with. but the line trust but verify? it applies except don't trust. just verify...
my guess prior owner did chain cover and water pump. I have bolt on dial coming. I got so many parts to go I’m not taking anything off. Power steering valve is tonight. Had loose wheel studs on front hub. Only two holding. They all where new auto zone studs. They pressed in real easy. Heck of a noise as they where caught by the dust shield! 35 calls today none in northern Illinois. Have zip sending me a new one. Figure I will back weld the studs until it arrives. Tonight is power steering valve. No more mr drippy. Yeah!
Life is in the details. Once she get closer to road worthy I will start details. Is just nice to be off the stands. 6 weeks owned 4000 in parts. 8000 for the hulk. Electrical back 80%. Brakes 100%. Suspension 5%. 102 bucks in shell premium. 50miles of driving. Its nowhere near road ready. It’s real nice just to be able to scrape the blood sweat and tears off the garage floor! This thing will make it to high school in two days! Dad (me) wants his mini van back!
Last edited by Dad/Chris; Aug 13, 2022 at 06:29 PM.
Reason: Add video
Sounds like there's still plenty to do. And once it is on the road it'll let you know what it wants. And if it's like most of our cars, it'll want.
Great thread so far. I've enjoyed following.
What do you all do with your left foot? If ya stretch leg out it’s under/on brake pedal. Seat is to low to fold under right leg. 1/2 Indian or now known a Chris Cross! Go figure! If I just bend knee, foot flat on floor. I’m on the turn signal stalk. I’m no young chicken. If I don’t move my leg every once in a while, it might atrophy. Which Will really complicate getting in and out. Seems like a waste of quality real estate.
Why can’t I just cut off that side of the pedal? Find a new smaller rubber pedal and custom the metal to fit it? Daddy taught me not to drive two footed. Unless a clutch is involved!
I’ve found the only time I use two feet on a brake pedal. It’s usually too late! I’m bracing for impact!
Setting timing. Without marks.
