How to set the timing on a 226?

Engine at TDC, which is the piston on the compression stroke? Pushing air out?

Then set rotor at #1 cylinder on cap, is the cap marked? It is dark and I cant see s--t in my carport. Then attach plug wires in firing order?

Just want to get it right, after messing around with fuel pump, dist, fuel lines, coil, battery I now have spark to the plugs and fuel to the carb with an occasional POP. Has to be a timing issue now.

Any guidance appreciated!

 

Did you remove the distributor and if so, did you mark where it was supposed to be when you reinstalled it? I hope so.

If not, then as a rough judge, when you've installed the distributor, and it has settled down doing it's final twist when the gears mesh, the number one position of the rotor is usually opposite the vacuum advance. So you have to put on the cap and put a mark on the distributor housing under the wire dome closest to opposite of the vacuum advance. Then install the distributor so it ends up with the rotor cap on that mark at TDC.

Then what you are describing is called "static timing."

Here is the procedure: Loosen your spark plugs to allow compression to escape. Remove the spark plug from the number 1 cylinder completely. Put your little finger in the hole for the #1 plug. Turn the nut that holds on your harmonic balance with a socket and breaker bar until you feel compression in the #1 cylinder and then feel the top of the piston come up to the top. The 0 degree mark on the dampner should be at the timing indicator.

On your distrubutor, the contact edge of the rotor cap should align with the position of the#1 post on the cap - and where you made the mark earlier on the distributor body. You are going to turn the distributor slightly until the points spark. The engine is now statically timed and should get you to a point where you can start the engine.

Install the cap. Place the wires on the cap in the right firing order from the #1 position (label the #1 wire) and be certain you do it in the right direction of rotation. Replace the #1 spark plug and tighten them all down. Put the wires on the correct spark plugs.

Hook a Vacuum gauge up to your intake manifold or carburetor and start the engine. Warm it up and set it at idle speed. Turn the distributor to advance the timing until you get the maximum reading on the vacuum gauge. Adjust the idel speed as necessary to keep it at the right rpm as you advance the timing. When you have the highest attainable vacuum at the correct idle speed, RETARD the timing so the vacuum drops 1 (one) inch.

Then drive the truck and check for pinging. If it pings at wide open throttle, come back and retartd the timing a degree or so at a shot until you can drive it with no pinging.

Good Luck,

Julie!

 

That is what I needed! Hopefully I will be driving it tomorrow.

 

Yea thanks Julie, I am going to need this in a couple weeks , Most appreciate the detail, John

 

Not sure if this is any help, but if you are having trouble determining if you are at TDC #1 on the compression stroke or exhaust stroke and that if you have the valve cover(s) off so that you can see the rocker arm (OHV) I THINK that the cylinder half way through the firing order (# 3 on a six or # 4 on a eight in the FIRING ORDER) the piston is opposite and is coming up on the exhaust stroke and so at TDC the rocker arms will both rock as the exhaust one closes and the intake opens.

“but being wrong keeps me humble”

 

That's true, and very helpful.

But I know, since your advice is always sound, that this time you just missed that very discrete "226" in his original post - it's a flathead 6 - no valve covers. The 215 in the 52 on up was the first OHV six and had a valve cover.

Thus my very technical "stick your finger in the hole" procedure.

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

J!

And Hey Mr. John Smith Jr.!!!! If your distributor is already in your engine do this to save yourself
ALOT of work. Before you take the distributor out, run that #1 piston up to TDC (as I described above - finger and all) then remove your distributor cap and check to confirm the rotor cap is in the #1 position. Scribe a mark on the side of the distributor right under the center of the contact on the rotor cap and continue that scribe all the way down onto the intake manifold. When you put it back in (check to make sure you are still at TDC), do it so when the gears engage, do that final twist, and the distributor is all the way in, the marks line up. If you have to, pull it back up a touch and turn it enough ( a tooth distance in either direction) to get it to fall to the correct place when you put it back in. You'll know what I mean when you do it. It will be ready for the vacuum gauge timing then.

 

Not sure on the Flathead 6 Ford engines, but FH Mopars 6's have a little 1/8th inch pipe plug above #1, you can pop the plug on #1 compression stroke, set a pencil/dowel in on top of the piston and rotate the engine till it at the top of it's arc.

Only thing I'd caution about is spinning the engine over using the HB bolt...I'd pull all the plugs first, I've stripped one once before on SBC...wasn't fun drilling and retapping it.

 

I had a professor say once that the only stupid question is one that isn't asked. You can't learn if you don't ask. There may be a few around here that have been around the block a few times and forget little things from time to time and a refresher course is a lot of help. Thanks j you helped out. I remember static timing my first engine and you put it right on.

Gear Up

 

Thanks! I agree with your professor. Because I don't believe there is anybody who doesn't not know something sometime!

I try to stick to the subject I know about - through experiencing them or being taught. And on those subjects i don't know about (or frankly at this age can't seem to remember anymore) I try to leave that to those who do.

I've been very lucky in that most of the subjects that come up here - that I try and participate in - are things that I have JUST recently had to do on my truck. And trust me - I DO learn quite a bit by screwing some things up before I have the process down. Hopefully I am able to pass that on to prevent the same mistakes.

I just think this site is priceless - If I had had all this good advice in my two primary restorations in the early 80s (and e-bay to get parts) they would have been MUCH smoother.

I wish I could find a way to "mark" posts like this one because I'll bet you in about two months the subject will come up again!

Good Luck to all - let us know how the test starts/drives work!!!!!

Julie!

 

I followed your advice to the letter and it fired up right away, actually drove it around the block several times for the first time since I got her (4 months)

I agree that this website has been priceless to me learning about these old trucks, which I have fallen in love with. It is full of cool people with wealths of knowledge, with no pompus attitudes towards guys like me that are fairly new to the truck scene.

Eric

 

Eric - THAT"S GREAT!!!!!!!

Doesn't it feel fantastic when you go for that first drive.......What's next?

J!

 

to drive it legally, and seat belts.

 

Here! You might find this useful! Kind of a head start! Disregard the weird stuff (like hood lift)



J!

PS If you want a larger clearer version send me a PM with your real e-mail and I'll send you the Power Point file this is on!