[racewerx]

I stabbed the distributor back in my 351w and just can't seem to get the timing right. Started with #1 cyl tdc and the rotor pointing at #1 cyl, my harmonic balancer even shows 0 . The car runs but when I put the timing light on it it's way off the chart. What am I doing wrong?

[12second5.0]

You may be just a tooth off.

[2k4mk1]

When you drop it in you want the rotor a little ahead (before) of where you want it to end up so when you drop it in it rolls to the #1 spot not past it.
As Larry said it sounds like you are a tooth off to me.

[TheBocSez]

Your balancer will show TDC twice in the cycle. Once at the top of the compression stroke and once at the top of the exhaust stroke. You may be 180* off.

1st you need to make sure you are at the top of the compression stroke. If your valve covers are off, you can tell cause both valves will be closed. If your at the top of the exhaust stroke, the exhaust valve will be open.

If you dont want to pull your valve cover, you can remove the #1 spark plug and stuff a paper towel in the spark plug hole. slowly bump the engine until the compression pops the paper out. You are then coming up on the compression stroke. From here you can use a socket to get it to TDC. Just make sure the piece of paper towel you use is large enough not to get sucked in to the cylinder through the spark plug hole.

Lastly, you could just leave it where its at, turn the distributer exactly 180* out from where it sits now and see if the car starts.

Also, You dont really want to start with the balancer at TDC, rotor pointing at the #1 terminal. Set the balancer at 8 or 10* BTDC (advanced) then stab in the distributor with the rotor pointing at the #1 cap terminal.

Hope it helped.

[racewerx]

Originally Posted by TheBocSez

Your balancer will show TDC twice in the cycle. Once at the top of the compression stroke and once at the top of the exhaust stroke. You may be 180* off.

1st you need to make sure you are at the top of the compression stroke. If your valve covers are off, you can tell cause both valves will be closed. If your at the top of the exhaust stroke, the exhaust valve will be open.

If you dont want to pull your valve cover, you can remove the #1 spark plug and stuff a paper towel in the spark plug hole. slowly bump the engine until the compression pops the paper out. You are then coming up on the compression stroke. From here you can use a socket to get it to TDC. Just make sure the piece of paper towel you use is large enough not to get sucked in to the cylinder through the spark plug hole.

Lastly, you could just leave it where its at, turn the distributer exactly 180* out from where it sits now and see if the car starts.

Also, You dont really want to start with the balancer at TDC, rotor pointing at the #1 terminal. Set the balancer at 8 or 10* BTDC (advanced) then stab in the distributor with the rotor pointing at the #1 cap terminal.

Hope it helped.

Thanks that did it I stabbed it at 8* BTDC and it run much better Thanks

[TheBocSez]

Happy to help.

[keg65]

I was going to suggest that maybe your balancer had spun and the marks were in the wrong place. Had that happen on the old engine in my 65. Had to set it by sound and how it performed instead of the timing light.