First, on the passenger side timing marks: Does the large triangular notch indicate TDC, or does it indicate 10 degrees before TDC?

Second: WHEN THE SPOUT CONNECTOR IS IN PLACE, (as in normal use) is the timing mark supposed to be in the triangular notch at idle, or is the timing mark supposed to be in the triangular notch at full advance?

 

Bumping. Still asking the question.

EDIT: I found a picture that answers my first question.

http://www.supermotors.net/registry/media/965006_1


I still need the second one answered. (I suspect my dizzy was installed in the wrong position)

 

You set the timing mark in the large notch with the timing spout removed and the engine running.

 

I already know the process for setting the timing. That isn't what I need to know.

I need to know where the mark is actually supposed to be at idle and at full advance after the setting process is complete, and the spout has been reconnected and the truck is operating in it's normal mode.

 

My mistake. I have no idea where the marks would be while running, never bothered to look.

 

No problem.

As I said, I suspect my dizzy was installed incorrectly, and this is throwing the whole thing off. I can't keep getting 10 to a gallon.

 

Dist position has about 6 choices in a ford.
Just went thru that.
Rolled it around to PASSENGER side timing cover marks.
TDC scribe mark, (not the big 1/4" notch) on the V notch on the cover, and then twisted the distributor
with the key on to see plug #1 snap.
Also made sure the tdc I had was compression stroke.
Haven't hit it with a light yet since it runs so bad right now...pouring gas out the intake.
But I'll try to answer tomorrow if I get it running

ps - almost forgot, when it Was running, I set the dist where they said and then advanced it a little more until it pinged.
In gear, full brakes and full throttle. If I heard it ping, I'd back off on the advance a little.
I also have trouble getting more than 11 or 12 mpg.
Never could get good t light reading with spout on or off, so went with the old timer method.
NOT saying it's the right way but just this side of pinging makes some kind of sense to me.

 

Notch on the balancer should be TDC but verify that manually because a slipped balancer is n not uncommon.

No

No.

The timing mark on the balancer should point at the triangular notch(10deg advance) when the engine is idling and the spout plug is removed. With the spout plug in the computer will advance timing even more and it will vary all the time so you won't be able to track it, but that is normal and you don't need to control that anyway.

 

In the picture in that link I sent, it shows the triangular notch is 10 degrees before TDC.

So if the balancer has indeed slipped, I would to rotate the engine into the TDC position using the distributor and something long and thin down the plug socket hole (I've had to do this before on a another vehicle), to see when the piston reaches it apex, and then account for that offset when setting the timing again?

It seem to me that when I got it, if was in fact off when I initially checked the timing. It didn't ping or misfire then, but it doesn't do it now either, but the gas mileage seemed to have dropped after I moved it into the "correct" position.

 

^$^&$%& of course not.


I'll be ^@#%$& if the fan isn't positioned almost perfectly to prevent me from doing this.

 

Not real need to stick something in the plug hole and certainly nothing that will get stuck, jam or break off.
I can see my #1 piston at the top. LONG plastic straw maybe? a foot or so of fuel line?
I had mudbees trying to fly in with the plugs out last week so anything foreign scares me to no end.
Distributor spins clockwise and crank is ccw as I recall.
TDC only hits compression stroke every other time around.
Believe me, I understand frustration.

I too, have replaced many crank pulleys due to spinning free on the
rubber insert so timing marks may mean nothing but piston at top of travel has to be tdc
but may not be fire stroke.

 

Isn't it a clutch fan that will spin out of the way?

does it run at all?
a quarter inch rotation on the distributor is a lot.
If too advanced, it will try to fire on the upstroke and go "uuuh ruhhh" and stop.
a 1/4 inch the other way on the dist and it should spin freely.
Caveman school of timing. but hey, I have 3 ford trucks and only one runs
so what do I know.?
I'm here looking for advice too.

 

I use a long socket extension.

I could remove the fan, but it requires tools I don't have and cannot afford to rent at the moment.

It does run, now, and it ran before I "corrected" the timing, but confusingly, minus the possible fuel economy difference, it doesn't actually run any differently, as I said. No pinging or misfiring.