Right plug? Big number 1 stamped on the intake.

 

O.K. let's start over. What exactly is it that you are trying to fix? Keep a few things in mind. First of all, Ford numbers their cylinders 1-4 down the passengers side and 5-8 on the drivers side. To "set" your dist, first you need to find TDC for number 1. Do this by pulling the front plug on the pass side of the motor. Turn it over until you "feel" compression....then you can turn it until the marks line up on the pulley. Once you are on
TDC and the mark is on "zero", you can stab the dist. This will get you close enough to start the motor and then you can fine-tune the timing.

Start with that, then we can progress from there.

 

I will do what you suggest.

The car runs, but it bugs me that I can't see the timing mark on the pulley when the timing gun is attached to spark plug wire 1. I can see it if I put the sensor on 4 though. Not sure how the last mechanic did this to me. Not sure if the car is ok to run this way, or if there is some deeper timing issue.

I got the cylinder numbering, 1-4 on passenger side and 5 to 8 on the driver, low numbers in front.

 

thinking...thinking...ouch. Um...Is your pointer on the drivers side? Didn't Some SB's have it on the other side....maybe it's an issue like that. Odd how it would be that far off.

Sorry about confusion earlier, think I got a few threads mixed up.

 

Hiya p25486, maybe it is a good idea to go back to start

first "I got the cylinder numbering, 1-4 on passenger side and 5 to 8 on the driver, low numbers in front." yes. that's correct

start from scratch
a) distributor rotor should turn counterclockwise when engine is running.
So from this you should have the following firing order 15426378 counterclockwise. check one plug lead after another.
If all that is correct then you always know what it should be. It doesn't matter for the moment where on the cap #1 is as long as counterclockwise you have "5" as next one and so on.

Let us know if anything is different on your car. if not proceed as follows


b) check your timing mark. for this you will need a little help. It is common that the balancers slip sometimes, whicyh throws off the marking.
1. switch off engine
2. pull spark plug #1
3. get a piece of wire that is long enough so that there's no chance whatsoever the whole wire can fall in there.
Something straight that you can bend just like a welding wire would be perfect.
4. stick it in the whole where #1 plug was. Have someone turn the engine manually (with a socket at front of engine). At some stage you will feel the piston coming up.
then around TDC the piston will not move (or only so slightly that you cannot feel it). then it will go down again.
What you need to do here is to work with your pal so you can tell where it stops coming up. make a tip-ex or chalk mark just under the timing pointer on the balancer. Then do the same thing again where you believe the piston starts coming down.
Right between those two marks is TDC. Make a different mark there.
Then doublecheck your result

remove wire, but don't put the spark plug in yet.

edit: summit and jegs are selling piston stoppers which do the same job, just far more accurate

c) now that you found your TDC mark you will need to find where compression stroke is.
With that I mean the piston will be at the top twice during a normal cycle. Once at compression stroke when both valves are closed. and once when it just finished pushing out the used air/gas mixture (exhaust valve about to close and intake just opening).
you have several methods doing that
- either removing rocker cover over #1 cylinder and check if both rockers over #1 cylinder are 'loose'. that means both valves closed->compression stroke
- or blowing compressed air into the plug hole. if it comes out carb and exhaust it's the wrong stroke. turn engien another 360 degreess to timing mark and try again
- my favourite: the rug method. take an old rug and block #1 spark plug hole. don't push the rug into cylinder, just so it blocks the hole.
then disconnect ignition (you can du that by pulling cable on + side of coil) and then turn the engine with the key. As soon as the rug pops out stop turning and you're just after #1 compression. turn the engine manually back to your mark and you have achieved what this exercise is about:
haveing #1 piston at TDC on compression stroke and the timing mark matching the pointer

From there you can start plugging your distributor:

d) check where the rotor of your distributor is pointing. it should be in the direction of cylinder #1 (as your engine was running before)
and you can start putting it all back and time the engine with a light

if anyones else reads that who has a non running engine, now it's time to plug the #1 cylinder plug lead to the cap where the rotor points to and plug the rest of them counterclockwise in firing order

this is by far not the easiest of all options, but this will get you where you want to be

Kalli

 

Sounds good.

Though the firing order for my Cleveland is more like 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 I believe.

 

don't know that one. Just write down the order you're currently having and use that for later plugging it all back. windsors can already have 2 different firing order depending on the cam. I don't know if that's the same with the Clevelands.

what I wrote above should get you to where you want to be. being able to time your engine ;-)