my apologies for my babbling Bill. The motor is a 302 with a C6 behind it. I put a white mark on the balancer at the 10deg BTC spot. I have the timing tab that is in your second picture there. What am I shooting for? The hole, notch or the pointer? either way at idle with the shorting bar removed, the mark is on the other side of damper and there is no way to spin the distributor that far to even get the 10 deg mark on the the tab. Its like the distributor was put in 180 deg out. But like I said, yesterday when I put it back in, it fell right to where it came from and everything lined up. All the marks and the rotor pointing exactly where it was when I took it off. How can everything be as it was when it was removed and the van ran good last time it ran and then timing mark be on the other side of the damper at idle? Also when I started it up for the first time and the shorting bar was still installed after it came off high idle it ran smooth. It was only when I removed the shorting bar that I noticed it was not so smooth anymore. It was still good and really had to listen but it wasn't the same. I guess I am shooting for the 10deg BTC mark on the scale to be on the end of the pointer? What is the hole for on the timing tab?

Sid

 

The hole was to hold a sensor on the EEC-III Ignition system that you do not have.
Some dampers have slipped in the rubber mounting and you can not use the marks on them. I do not know if that is the case here.
The timing pointer is the straight one as in the photos.
Some have put a vacuum gauge on the engine, removed the SPOUT and adjusted the timing to max vacuum at idle if they could not use a light.

 

Good morning Bill,

Where would be the best source of vacuum for my gauge to check timing do you think? I don't think the damper has slipped about the rubber really. Just to make sure I am doing this right please. If the distributor was installed with rotor pointing at #1 post and #1 cylinder was at TDC of compression, the zero mark on the damper should be on the pointer if I have the pick-up lead of the timing light around #1 cylinders wire? Will rpm at the time of timing have any effect with or without the SPOUT in?

Thanks Bill

Sid

 

The vacuum tree on the upper intake. If you have to remove a hose remove the one going to the Vent system.

That all sounds right if that is the way it was.

I take it you did bring the engine up to TDC of compression with rotor pointing to the rear of the engine and to #1 wire before you removed the distributor.

It may with the SPOUT in but it would not with the SPOUT out.

 

Well it seems all is well and probably a whole bunch better than I was when I started this selector valve/fuel pump issue that turned into a no spark issue.

I had the timing light pick-up lead on the first cylinder on the drivers side #5. Not on the passengers side. Made a world of difference. At operating temperature with SPOUT removed I am at 10 deg BTC and idling at about 700 I'd say. Or at least thats what my tach says. The engine runs very smoothly with no apparent shake or wobble and it holds rpms very well and the scale on my tach is graduated in 20 rpm increments. RUNS VERY GOOD! Something I did notice and I don't know if the previous owner adjusted timing with SPOUT removed but as I have it adjusted WITH SPOUT removed the distributor is sitting a little bit more clockwise from where it was and the engine seems to be running at little bit cooler. I don't know if moving the distruibutor CW or CCW is advancing or retarding and which has more of an effect on heat. Just curious.

Well Bill it is certainly time to close this chapter/thread and move on to the next issue on this van. I most certainly learned a whole bunch about my van, Fords, fuel supply and demand and now a little bit about electrical with ignition modules, crank sensors and EEC's. I want to thank you very much for hanging with me these past weeks and not giving up on me and my challenging writing and silly questions. If you were closer, I'd buy you a steak and a soda. Maybe I can contribute to this forum in some way.

Have a great day Bill and now I'm off to look at this anti-lock brake light that has been on since I got the vehicle. Oh yeah....gonna go get some gas in my back tank. Going to see if this selector valve is doing its thing. It'll be so nice riding down the road knowing both tanks work and I am strictly OEM stock with no by passes or work arounds or JC Whitney electric switches or fuel line reroutes of any sort. Just the way I like it.

Have a great one Bill and thank you again.

Sid

 

The distributor rotor turns CCW so you would advance it by turning the distributor CW.