set timing on no 1 or no 4?

maytag · Post by **maytag** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:26 pm

Hey all.....
I'm in the process of setting the old motor to go get it sniffed. I broke out the timing light, and something is clawing at the back of my skull telling me that somewhere I read that I should be timing off of cyl #4.... !?!?!?!?

help.

IS that right? 'cuz I did it off of #1 last year, but I rememebr somebody saying that was why I needed to have it so far advanced. But now I can't find the post referring to that.

HELP??

redek · Post by **redek** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:55 pm

When I changed my timing belt, I went off the #4 cylinder. At TDC the #4 cylinder is beginning it's combustion stroke, and the #1 cylinder is taking in fuel/air.

engineerted · Post by **engineerted** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:20 pm

If you are replacing the timing belt or removed the dizzy, position the cam wheel pointers to there marks , crank position to it's mark, aux wheel to 1 o'clock and the dizzy rotor to cylinder #4. The timing light can be used either on 1 or 4, but the rotor must be aligned to cylinder #4 when all the timing marks are aligned.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:33 pm

My engine is at TDC on cylinder 1 and 4. The intake valve on cylinder 1 just closed, does this mean that I am on the compression stroke for cylinder 4? I just changed my timing belt and the engine, once out of gear, turns easily by hand.

Thanks,

Adam

mdrburchette · Post by **mdrburchette** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:08 pm

Three things to look at when making sure your belt timing is correct:
1. Look at the cam pointers and make sure the little dots line up with the tips of the pointers on the cam pullies
2. Look at the crank pulley mark and make sure it's line up with the 0 degree mark that would be on the timing cover.

If these are lined up, pull your dist cap off. You can see the 4 "fingers" where the plug wires would go on. Find number 4 and follow it to the inside of the cap. That little metal thingy, when the cap is back on, should be where the metal end of your rotor will be pointing to. It is now timed to fire on the #4 cylinder first.
When checking your ignition timing, you can put the timing light on the #1 or #4 plug wire. It doesn't matter. Now you can bump the timing up 5 to 10 degrees by gently moving the distributor and be ready to go.

Sorry if this sounds elementary. I don't mean to sound condescending, but I hope it'll help anyone out there that is as mechanically inclined as I am.

majicwrench · Post by **majicwrench** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:43 pm

If the #1 intake valve has closed you are on the #1 compression stroke. HOWEVER, #1 intake valve should have closed near Bottom Dead Center, not TDC. If the intake valve "just closed" and the piston is at the top of the stroke, something is wrong.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:45 pm

Hey majicwrench, the intake valve closed as piston 1 was rising from bottom dead to top dead.

Mike, I have the cam pullies lined up with the marks on the cam towers (mines a 74), the aux pulley is at 1 o'clock and the crankshaft pulley is lined up with the furthest right of the 3 marks on the timing cover. Is my crank in the right place, as well should use cylinder 1's compression stroke to set my timing or cylinder 4's?

Thanks,

Adam

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:39 pm

Dug out the manual and the timing marks check out. The engine turns freely by hand. Put the battery in and went to crank her over only to find out that my battery tender did not do its job over the winter. Got the battery on a charger now and hopefully she'll turn over tomorrow.

fiat218 · Post by **fiat218** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 6:07 am

i read and read,
i have a 1980 and for what ever reason there no marks on my timing cover. why would that be? does that mean i would have to strip the front section off of the engine to just see the marks ?

lm48 · Post by **lm48** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 8:27 am

No, look in the back of the cams wheels. In the head, right by the wheel there is a mart at 1 o clock fort the intake and one on the exhaust at 11 o clock. Line up the hole on the wheel whit this marks. On mine I do not have any covers or other pointing. It will work perfect. I fire up mine for the fist time 2 weeks ago.

rlux4 · Post by **rlux4** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 8:34 am

Our two liters have the timing marks on a bracket that's positioned over the crank pulley. This bracket has the same three marks for timing as the ones on the older car's timing cover, but they're points notched on the bracket: 0°,5°,10°. They're graduated lengths, the longest one being the 10° pointer.
Ron

124JOE · Post by **124JOE** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 9:15 am

fiat218 wrote: i read and read,
i have a 1980 and for what ever reason there no marks on my timing cover. why would that be? does that mean i would have to strip the front section off of the engine to just see the marks ?

i pulled #1 spark plug and put in a wood dowel
turning the motor over untill the dowel is at the highest point
then memorize the crank mark
thats tdc
at that point the exh just closed on #1 and the intake is going to open
but #4 is in compresion
thats why it gets timed for #4 at the dizzy

wikkid · Post by **wikkid** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 10:16 am

This is all good info - it's great to have a thread about tuning issues, with "how-to" info from basic to advanced. We don't have "stickies" or a specific "how-to procedures" thread here, do we?

fiat218 · Post by **fiat218** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 10:23 am

how do u know if your on the exhaust UPPER or FIRING upper

124JOE · Post by **124JOE** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 10:31 am

i have a spare head and cams
so i look at those without the covers on

but the cam lobes are pointing to the outside.as the ex just closed and the intake is just about to open
this is all on #1 with the marks all lined up
its getting ready for the intake stroke
and that why we time it to #4
its ready for the spark at that point

set timing on no 1 or no 4?

set timing on no 1 or no 4?

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Re: set timing on no 1 or no 4?