red9535

Okay, i'm trying to get my timing right, and I have a question.

If I crank it and I get a backfire.. whether it's an intake or an exhaust backfire.. that means the distributor rotor is set on the right spot, and it's just a matter of turning the distributor?

Here's what I did:

Put a rag in the piston 1 spark plug hole
Cranked the engine until the rag came out
Felt through the hole for the top of the piston.. piston 1 was at the top of its compression stroke
Lined the rotor up with the #1 wire spot on the cap
Cranked

Nothing

I've gotten a couple backfires through trying.. then, taking out the distributor, moving it 1 position over, and putting it back down. There should be 8 spots I can put it in, right? Then once I find the right cylinder, its a matter of turning the distributor with a timing light for the fine tuning?

There's only 1 big mark on my harmonic balancer - and i'm not sure if that's right or not.

Any help?

Haven't gotten it to start yet. It cranks consistently, and i've gotten a couple backfires through both intake and exhaust.. trying to fine tune it.

I'm also going to assume it's a problem with the timing.. since i've gotten backfires.. that means there's air, fuel, and spark.. just at the wrong time, and the intake or exhaust valves are still open.

PRO50SC

The big mark is not the correct one. You have to clean the balancer off to see the numbers on it for timing reference.

red9535

So clean it off, and it will have degree marks with numbers?

Set it to 10 (that's stockish, right?), then set the distributor so the rotor lines up with 1, and it's about right.. then use a timing light to fine tune?

PRO50SC

Yes, and this link should be of great help to you!!

https://mustangforums.com/m_3258861/tm.htm

creekrat

Pull the dist out. Use the rag method to bring #1 up. Fine adj to the 0 on the pointer. Drop the dist back in so that the rotor points to #1 terminal on cap. Crank over to start(you may have to adjust dist one way or the other) Once running(with spout disconnected) set timing with light to 10-14 and start fine tuning from there.

red9535

Does the fact that i'm carburated have anything to do with this and does it have to be done differently? Because she's still not giving it up..

CrazyCobraSpeed

i think you 180 off... sounds kinda like it mayb

MikeVa

Is is the HO motor or non-HO? I know you have a 95, but also said it is carburated which is why I wondered if it was a transplant motor.

TTGreenSN95

Stop the press I lined up my dizzy with the harmonic balancer at 0 degrees not ten degress
I put it on the o degree mark and then dropped in the dizzy.
you guys telling me I should have put the harmonic balancer on the 10* mark then drop in the dizzy?