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I installed cam and lifters on a friend 79 (been awhile since I did one), after I discovered the #8 cylinder intake lifter retaining ring worked itself loosen. Install the cam with the "O" marks on top of each other, lined them up to TDC before closing it up.
When I installed the Dist aligned to #1, the car did not want to start. So I thought I would check to make sure the #1 is at TDC by taking the spark plug out and putting a piece of paper in place of the spark plug. bumped the starter until the paper popped out; it ended up around 2 BTDC, so I thought that was close to see where the rotor is pointing.
It was pointing 180 out, so I re-positioned it to point to #1, it started up and by moving the dist a little it idled fine. This where I am needing some help; when I try to time it, I do not see the timing mark on the balancer no matter how far I advance the dist.
H-m-m-m-m-m. Let me think here. Very common error I believe.
quote: two "O" marks on top of each other.
If both "O" are on top of their sprockets that would be TDC for #1cyl.
If the two marks are across from each other, that would be TDC for cyl #6.
I don't know how to find and post a picture of the correct timing marks, sorry.
Could be a mismatch between the balancer and the pointer. take a look at the keyway in the balancer hub in relation to the timing mark on the outer ring. Early ones had a pretty good difference between them. Later ones were nearly aligned. I don't recall the number of degrees they split the different styles. Point your timing light between the back of the water pump and the front cover and see if the mark is there. Other place to look is right below the left water pump mount leg.
Also could be the outer ring has slipped.
Myself, I'd pull #1 spark plug, stick my finger over the hole and have someone bump the starter until it blew my finger off the hole. Then look and see how far apart the timing marks are, and then pull the cap and see where the rotor points.
Clean the mark on the balancer and fill the groove with white enamel.
Make sure the timing light is on #1.
Do you have the pointer in place?
I have a question for you Big2Bird. If the timing chain and cam sprocket was installed with the cam 180* off. And the the dizzy installed 180* off. Would it start?
Never done that, don't want to, but . . . . .
Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Jan 8, 2018 at 08:37 PM.
Could be a mismatch between the balancer and the pointer. take a look at the keyway in the balancer hub in relation to the timing mark on the outer ring. Early ones had a pretty good difference between them. Later ones were nearly aligned. I don't recall the number of degrees they split the different styles. Point your timing light between the back of the water pump and the front cover and see if the mark is there. Other place to look is right below the left water pump mount leg.
Also could be the outer ring has slipped.
Myself, I'd pull #1 spark plug, stick my finger over the hole and have someone bump the starter until it blew my finger off the hole. Then look and see how far apart the timing marks are, and then pull the cap and see where the rotor points.
I did removed the #1 spark plug and stuffed a piece of paper in the cavity and bump the starter until is blew out. The rotor was pointing 180 out from #1,
Do you have the pointer in place? = Yes the pointer is in place.
I have a question for you Big2Bird. If the timing chain and cam sprocket was installed with the cam 180* off. And the the dizzy installed 180* off. Would it start?
Never done that, don't want to, but . . . . .
All things considered, why not? In sync is in sync.
Did the paper blow out on the compression stroke or did it blow out on the exhaust stroke? Could be your distributor was not 180 out.
I'm my experience if the distributor was 180 out you would have gotten a nasty backfire through the carb.
Go back and check.
I did removed the #1 spark plug and stuffed a piece of paper in the cavity and bump the starter until is blew out. The rotor was pointing 180 out from #1,
Do you have the pointer in place? = Yes the pointer is in place.
Crank dot at 12 oclock and cam dot at 6 oclock is #6 tdc compression. Crank dot at 12 oclock and cam dot at 12 oclock is #1 tdc compression. Install the distributor accordingly.
I have a question for you Big2Bird. If the timing chain and cam sprocket was installed with the cam 180* off. And the the dizzy installed 180* off. Would it start?
Never done that, don't want to, but . . . . .
If the cam is 180 deg out, and the distributor is also 180 deg out, then you are timed correctly. Rotate the crank through 360 deg and everything is lined up. I think you are going to have to start from scratch by determining exactly where top dead center is. You can do this with a piston stop that you screw in the spark plug hole. You can't do much until you know if your timing marks are correct. And this is what the marks on the cam and crank gear look like when the cam is installed correctly.
With the marks lined up like this picture, the distributor would be installed with the rotor pointing at #6. If the crankshaft is rotated 1 full turn, the cam gear dot will then be at 12 oclock and the rotor would then point at #1.
Originally Posted by drwet
If the cam is 180 deg out, and the distributor is also 180 deg out, then you are timed correctly. Rotate the crank through 360 deg and everything is lined up. I think you are going to have to start from scratch by determining exactly where top dead center is. You can do this with a piston stop that you screw in the spark plug hole. You can't do much until you know if your timing marks are correct. And this is what the marks on the cam and crank gear look like when the cam is installed correctly.
The first post in this thread- it DOES run. He just can't find the timing marks. Regardless of anything else, the cam is timed correctly to the crank. If not, it would NOT be running. That's off the table. It's just discovering where the timing mark is in relation to the pointer.
I think some are missing that he has the car running but he can't find the timing marks with the timing light. Could be a spun balancer or the wrong pointer. Could just need to paint the timing mark on the balancer so he can see it as Big2Bird suggested.
I installed cam and lifters on a friend 79 (been awhile since I did one), after I discovered the #8 cylinder intake lifter retaining ring worked itself loosen. Install the cam with the "O" marks on top of each other, lined them up to TDC before closing it up.
When I installed the Dist aligned to #1, the car did not want to start. So I thought I would check to make sure the #1 is at TDC by taking the spark plug out and putting a piece of paper in place of the spark plug. bumped the starter until the paper popped out; it ended up around 2 BTDC, so I thought that was close to see where the rotor is pointing.
It was pointing 180 out, so I re-positioned it to point to #1, it started up and by moving the dist a little it idled fine. This where I am needing some help; when I try to time it, I do not see the timing mark on the balancer no matter how far I advance the dist.
Any help is appreciate. Thank you.
Do you have the vacuum advance hose unplugged from the distributor? With it connected it may be advanced beyond the 12 btdc that you can see on the pointer tab.
Crank dot at 12 oclock and cam dot at 6 oclock is #6 tdc compression. Crank dot at 12 oclock and cam dot at 12 oclock is #1 tdc compression. Install the distributor accordingly.
Thank you. I think I aligned the "O" to be at #6 at TDC. Because I did have the crack "O" at 12 o clock and the cam "O" at 6. o clock. So now the question, can I start the firing order at the #6 position or re position everything.
Since you already removed the dist and turned it a half turn, you should be in the ball park. Just make sure the vacuum advance is unplugged when you set the timing. Rotate the distributor till you find the timing mark with it idling. Since it runs, you are close. Do you need to do cam break in yet?
79 New Cam Install
