Stupid question about TDC
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 7
From: Katy (Houston) TX
CI 7-8 Veteran
Stupid question about TDC
My AR 383 finally arrived...Wooohoooo :party: and I'm almost ready for distributor installation. Will the timing mark be right at zero at TDC on a brand new engine?
Told ya, simple question.
Thanks.
Told ya, simple question.
Thanks.
Just another Corvette guy
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,518
Likes: 3,865
From: Palm Springs, CA.
Re: Stupid question about TDC (tshort)
Hey Travis,
Not a stupid question at all. Usually they come with the timing gears alligned dot to dot, this would put you firing on #6 cyl. Some techs rotate the engine to #1 before shipping. So you have a 50/50 chance.
Not a stupid question at all. Usually they come with the timing gears alligned dot to dot, this would put you firing on #6 cyl. Some techs rotate the engine to #1 before shipping. So you have a 50/50 chance.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,683
Likes: 201
From: Waterford Mi
Re: Stupid question about TDC (Greg)
Simple way to tell with the valv covers off. Line up the timing mark with 0. Than rotate the crank 90 degrees and watch the #1 cylinder to see if either of the valves start to move. If not, than it is TDC, if they do then it is 180 degrees off.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 3,631
Likes: 14
From: Fountain Hills AZ
Re: Stupid question about TDC (tshort)
Once you're verified TDC on the compression stroke, rotate it again until the timing marks indicate whatever initial you are using (engines run real crappy at 0º, or not at all). Before you drop the distributor in, put a mark on it's housring that corresponds to the #1 postion on the cap. While dropping it in, keep the rotor pointed at that mark and also position the housing so that the vacuum advance canister isn't so close to anything as to prevent full distributor movement for adjustments. There's a tang on the bottom of the distributor shaft that has to engage with a slot in the oil pump drive so the slot may have to be repositioned to line up. It rotates easilly with a long screwdriver. If you're lucky the distributor may drop in correctly on the first try but it might take more than one try before everything is lined up right.
