After I got my car out of the shop a few weeks back from having the heads replaced, I noticed that it seemed to be timed a bit advanced. I went out today and put my timing light on it and couldn't find my timing marks. I got up under the car with the light and found them on the bottom. How do they get flipped like that? Is it a problem if I just leave it this way? Of course, now I have no idea where TDC is so I just had to kind of guess how much to retard the timing.

 

the dizzy is 180 out

 

when the shop put your dist back in, they did not do so with the proper orientation, you will probably find that the #1 sparkplug wire is not plugged into the right place on the distributor either.

I do not think that this will really hurt anything on a Ford, but you might want to make sure of that with others who know fords better than I. I do know that on some GM applications proper orientation of the distributor body is needed for proper oiling, but I dont think so on fords.

With the marks not lining up, it will be impossible to time your engine accurately, because the timing light is useless.

I would have the shop that did the heads re-time it. It's not a big deal to do yourself, but why bother, they should have gotten it right the first time.

 

If you're hooked to #1 spark plug and the marks are on the bottom of the pulley, the distributorhas been moved and your engine timing is out of spec. two ways this can happen: 1, the distributor is rotated. #2 the vacumn advance is on and is either stuck or you're trying to time it with the vacumn hose attached to the dist. If your getting lots of vacumn at idle, the dist vac advance hose is hooked to manifold vacumn and not to the vacumn above the throttle plates ( carb vacumn port. Hope this helps

 

That was my first reaction, but I think that even if it were 180 degrees out the crankshaft would still beclose toTDC when the light lit, (if it were timed exactly 180 degrees out, (or as it would be straight across the cap)) assuming that the light was on the #1 plugwire.(right? or am I not thinking clearly?)

I think it must be a cylinder or two off from right, or a cylinder or two off from timed 180 out. (which essentially means it could be anywhere but close to where it should be)

Maybe the shop just droped the dist in the hole and figured out where #1 was after the fact. Makes it kind of tough to time the ignition though.

AND / OR the timing light is not hooked to the #1 plugwire, it might be in a differnt position on the distributor now.

 

That is a good point and I think that you could have the possible answer here!!

 

I am reasonably sure that is the problem, I forgot to mention to Morg68Stang, that either way, (assuming I am right), the distributor must come out, and the engine turned to TDC at the top of the compression stroke, and the distributor reinstalled with proper orientation. (ie: the rotor pointing to #1 plugwire on the distributor). Once it is running you should be able to use the light.

The easiest way to find (for me anyway) TDC is to remove the # 1 sparkplug, put your finger in the hole, and have someone bump the starter untill you feel the compression go past your finger, then look to line up the timing marks at the closest point.

If you have a small finger, dont put it all the way in, only the very end, or you might get a really smashed finger, and an unusual extraction for the EMT guys to talk about. (I wonder if they carry air tools to take the head off)

I only mention this because of the 13/16 size sparkplugs in (some?) Fords, GM is no problem with the 5/8 size.

 

He said it is only advanced a bit too much. How can it be 180 out if it runs fine, just a little advanced. Now, if you are talking about your timing marks on the harmonic balancer, they turn with the crank, so if they are on the bottom, just bump the engine and you will see them on top. Actually, it's best to have them on the bottom so you can paint the mark with white paint and the pointer that's on the timing cover as well.

 

Yes, I'm talking about my timing marks. I have one for TDC and one for 6 deg BTDC. With the engine running, i can only see the marks if I get under the car with the light.

 

You might want to read that first post again, If I understand it right, he is saying that the timing light (while running) iluminates the timing mark on the ballancer while it is on the bottom, while hooked to the #1 plug.

I might be wrong, but I think #1 should fire somewhere close to TDC as indicated by the timing mark and scale, which I think isnear the top of the balancer.

I guess the car runs fine but he can't getuse his timing light to zero the timing in.