Whoa Timing Off - Need some input
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,710
Likes: 2,574
It is a piece that looks sort of like a spark plug without the electrodes. You remove all the plugs and insert it into #1 cylinder. By hand you turn the engine over until the piston in #1 cylinder touches the piston stop. Note where your groove on the balancer is related to the 0 mark on the tab. Then turn the engine over by hand the opposite direction and again note the position of the groove with relation to the 0 mark on the tab. True Top Dead Center will be the mid point between the marks.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 851
Likes: 10
From: Palm City, FL
It is a piece that looks sort of like a spark plug without the electrodes. You remove all the plugs and insert it into #1 cylinder. By hand you turn the engine over until the piston in #1 cylinder touches the piston stop. Note where your groove on the balancer is related to the 0 mark on the tab. Then turn the engine over by hand the opposite direction and again note the position of the groove with relation to the 0 mark on the tab. True Top Dead Center will be the mid point between the marks.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 851
Likes: 10
From: Palm City, FL
I don't suppose I could put something like a long screw driver in there and watch to see when the pushes up all the way? Is there another method?
When then balencer is lined up @ TDC, the contact on the distributer is lined up with #1 cylinder... does that help?
When then balencer is lined up @ TDC, the contact on the distributer is lined up with #1 cylinder... does that help?
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,710
Likes: 2,574
Start with the simple stuff first, remove the cap and rotor and make sure the advance mechanism isnt stuck. Since I dont know your mechanical skills dont be insulted by this question. Are you connecting the timing light plug wire to the wire on the drivers side closest to the front of the car? If the groove on the balancer is lined up with the zero mark on the tab and the rotor is pointing to #1 cylinder in the cap then you are reasonably within the correct range and the balancer probably has not radically slipped. Have you gone to the MSD website and seen their comments on timing lights that work with their systems. You have to use one of the lights they recommend.
Last edited by MelWff; May 14, 2013 at 12:30 PM.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 386
Likes: 3
From: Clifton Virginia
If you have Equus timing light, make sure the ARROW on the wire pickup points towards the cylinder, not the distributor. I made this mistake very first time using this timing light and said "WTF is going on here?"
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 851
Likes: 10
From: Palm City, FL
Start with the simple stuff first, remove the cap and rotor and make sure the advance mechanism isnt stuck. Since I dont know your mechanical skills dont be insulted by this question. Are you connecting the timing light plug wire to the wire on the drivers side closest to the front of the car? If the groove on the balancer is lined up with the zero mark on the tab and the rotor is pointing to #1 cylinder in the cap then you are reasonably within the correct range and the balancer probably has not radically slipped. Have you gone to the MSD website and seen their comments on timing lights that work with their systems. You have to use one of the lights they recommend.
My balencer has the degrees stamped all around it, and the I need to line up the degree on the balencer to the marker on the timing cover. The balencer clearly marks TDC so I dont miss it. When the balencer is at TDC the distributer contact points at #1 (last time I checked... i'll check again tonight).
I don;t know if my light is MSD approved... I cant find where MSD says anything about that or where they reccomend lights. I dont want an MDS light. I have an Actron CP7529.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 851
Likes: 10
From: Palm City, FL
I have an Actron CP7529. I don't see anywhere that it says to point it in a certain direction, and the pickup doesnt have arrows on it.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,710
Likes: 2,574
I guess you discovered you have a digital timing light and MSD says not to use them.
http://www.msdignition.com/page.aspx?id=3306
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/arch...p/t-34956.html
http://www.msdignition.com/page.aspx?id=3306
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/arch...p/t-34956.html
Last edited by MelWff; May 14, 2013 at 04:45 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 851
Likes: 10
From: Palm City, FL
I guess you discovered you have a digital timing light and MSD says not to use them.
http://www.msdignition.com/page.aspx?id=3306
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/arch...p/t-34956.html
http://www.msdignition.com/page.aspx?id=3306
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/arch...p/t-34956.html
What light should I get. I wanted to get MSD 8990, but it appears to be discontinued. and cost $150.
What works with MSD 6A? I dont have 6AL
Last edited by genuine1980; May 14, 2013 at 05:28 PM. Reason: clarify
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 215
Likes: 0
From: Sunshine Coast Qld
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 851
Likes: 10
From: Palm City, FL
Wish me luck, and hopefully my next reading will be in line of what I am expecting and can adjust the timing as I planned to.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 261
Likes: 4
From: Albuquerque Resistance is not futile. It's voltage divided by current.
Look at the pointer or whatever, and feel when the probe goes over the top, so to speak.
What about the advance weights in the dist?
Keep in touch, 71
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,030
Likes: 363
From: Lubbock Texas
DC
Last edited by DC3; May 14, 2013 at 08:37 PM.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 386
Likes: 3
From: Clifton Virginia
I don't know if that model has advance ****. Get the one with advance **** (dial) if you can. It'll make things lot easier for you to read.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 386
Likes: 3
From: Clifton Virginia
For my vette, it didn't make .01 degrees difference in initial timing from 850 or 650 or 750.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
Scott
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 851
Likes: 10
From: Palm City, FL
Yes, you can do that. Be careful, don't lose anything in the cylinder, but you can use something to judge if piston TDC is sync with your timing pointer/tab/mark at zero. Use a friend or if you can do it yourself, rotate the crank at the same time you have a probe in #1.
Look at the pointer or whatever, and feel when the probe goes over the top, so to speak.
What about the advance weights in the dist?
Keep in touch, 71
Look at the pointer or whatever, and feel when the probe goes over the top, so to speak.
What about the advance weights in the dist?
Keep in touch, 71
Racer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 261
Likes: 4
From: Albuquerque Resistance is not futile. It's voltage divided by current.
Those were messed up too.. one weight was completely off. I cleaned it up and put it all back on, but I'm not sure if it will pop off again. The post that the weight pivots on seems like it can come out easily. Are there supposed to be clips underneath to keep the post in place?