Cant find timing mark on pully?
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Cant find timing mark on pully?
My 51 has the timing pointer, but I cannot find the so called "grove line" on the pully. I have been on my back, under the hood, and feeling with screwdriver tip.
Any advice on how to locate it?
Any advice on how to locate it?
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,882
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From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
On my 226 six cylinder it's really hard to see. The way I usually find it is to hook up the timing light and look for it on the damper pulley. If the truck is running fairly good you should be able to see it right around the pointer. It's not very noticeable so you have to really look for it. Otherwise to the same bay bumping the engine over until you're at top dead center on number 1 cylinder. Again, look around the pointer and you should see. Mark it with a piece of chalk or a dab of white paint. This should also work with an 8 cylinder. I'll be doing this soon for my panel truck with a flat 8, it's running rough and needs a tune up.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,294
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From: NM
Flat V8's have a Bump on the pulley, representing 4 degrees BTDC, NOT TDC. In other words, correct factory timing is to set it to the bump aligned with the pointer. Can't say on 6'ers.
White-out works great for marking things, if you clean it up good, brush it on, let it dry, then lightly sand the pulley it will stand out great and it lasts pretty long. A metal-marking pen is near permanent.
White-out works great for marking things, if you clean it up good, brush it on, let it dry, then lightly sand the pulley it will stand out great and it lasts pretty long. A metal-marking pen is near permanent.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,882
Likes: 3,126
From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
Ross, I think the sixes are like that too. I don't remember until I crawl around the engine a little. All I do know it's a PIA to find it some times. It's there, you just have to look for it.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,994
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From: Morgan Hill, CA
You can always find TDC by pulling out the #1 spark plug and pull the engine through with a wrench. Use a piece of dowel to feel the piston coming up.
I say to turn it with a wrench because a friend of mine bumped it with the starter while using a pencil (eraser end) to feel the piston. He bumped it a little too far and didn't have the pencil straight....it got wedged and broke off a couple of inches of pencil with the metal piece in the cylinder. He was able to fish it out, but it was one of those "jobs gone wrong".
Anyway, you'll be able to feel the piston come up, and after a couple more degrees of turning, you'll feel it go down. Use the wrench to go back and forth to find the middle of the up-down and you'll be really close to TDC. Now you can start looking for the marks near the pointer. I usually borrow some of my daughter's nail polish to mark the important spots (TDC and whatever timing setting you want).
I say to turn it with a wrench because a friend of mine bumped it with the starter while using a pencil (eraser end) to feel the piston. He bumped it a little too far and didn't have the pencil straight....it got wedged and broke off a couple of inches of pencil with the metal piece in the cylinder. He was able to fish it out, but it was one of those "jobs gone wrong".
Anyway, you'll be able to feel the piston come up, and after a couple more degrees of turning, you'll feel it go down. Use the wrench to go back and forth to find the middle of the up-down and you'll be really close to TDC. Now you can start looking for the marks near the pointer. I usually borrow some of my daughter's nail polish to mark the important spots (TDC and whatever timing setting you want).
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