I just put new heads on my Bll and I removed the dist. to do so...I did not mark the bottom of the dist.

I have two marks above the H balancer one is round and you can see through it and the other is just a arrow looking apparatus. I can feel compression all the way to the round mark but I am unsure of the orientation of the piston. Since I just installed the head gaskets I don't want any back firing due to mis-adjusted timing so I would like to get it right the first time.

Also the machine shop I sent my heads to had to mill .010 off of them due to the amount of warp they found them to have. Would this have any effect on the timing I should set my ignition to. I really wouldn't But i have never had this type of work done to heads before so I am unsure.

Thanks for any help you may supply.
TheRon

 

Milling the heads will have no effect on engine timing. It "might" have an issue with the intake manifold lining up correctly? But at only 0.010 shaved off? I think you should be okay. You'll know if there is a problem if the bolts do not line up for the intake.

On the H. bal. Ignore the round hole thing, it's not used for the basic mechanic setting timing. Just above that will be the arrow-pointer. That's what you want to use to line up with the T/C mark on the unit. You'll probably wind up crawling under the truck and cleaning the marks off, but you'll find the T-C clearly marked, with a bunch of lines (short and longish) following behind it, and just a few in front of it.

Now if you still have that valve cover off? It's a bit easier to see what cycle that cylinder is on. Failing that? Stick a finger into the spark plug holes threads and have a helper crank the engine using a large socket on the main pulley. There should be enough of a noticeable difference between the pressure exiting with the exhaust stroke and the compression stroke. (one will feel kinda whimpish..the other should just about force your finger out) When you get to the one that feels pretty strong? continue until that mark is matched with the pointer "T-C" That should be top dead center. The rest is just following instructions in the shop manual for disty installation and setting base timing.

It's not only about marking the bottom of the disty. What many have done is to make a set of marks to match the rotor buttons installation, and another mark to exactly where the rotor button is pointing at when the disty just comes free. (it will rotate a few degrees due to the gears used being offset)

Others have methods and tricks as well, and should lend a hand as well.

S-