just installed engine, quick questions.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 528
From: Northern Virginia
Stepman brings up a good point. There is no need to time it to cylinder 5 if you do not install new timing tape. Not sure why I assumed your balancer was off - must have discussions confused. Sorry.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 528
From: Northern Virginia
MustangFTW - if your balancer TDC lines up with the cylinder TDC of #1 (on compression stroke, of course), then yes - you will time to the #1 cylinder.
If you have not turned over your engine, and #5 is at TDC (again, assumed compression stroke) then simply drop the distributor in pointing to 5th spark plug. Then time to #1.
If you have not turned over your engine, and #5 is at TDC (again, assumed compression stroke) then simply drop the distributor in pointing to 5th spark plug. Then time to #1.
6th Gear Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,417
From: Cork, Ireland
to clarify:
timing the engine at number 5 assumes that you used a timing tape to the balancer when #5 was at TDC. If you just place it back togetehr with #5 pointing because #5 was piston up, but just start it without making any marks at balancer, then no, you just use #1 for timing as usual.
you might run into the following issues:
a) the #5 cylinder piston might be fully up, but we can't tell if #5 is actually at compression stroke (both valves closed). if that's the case, then pointing rotor to #5 should start the engine. you know when the camshaft (and distributor) turns once, then the crank turns twice so with one full of distributor you'll have #5 piston up twice. once when it just fires and once when it just finished blowing exhaust and starts sucking fresh air.
earlier you asked how to turn the crank. the idea of pushing the car works very well when it's a manual. it's a no go when automatic. With automatic you have to manually turn the crank or use the starter.
so if you plan to point the rotor to #5 cylinder, because that one is uop. go ahead. if the engine starts, good. time it at #1 like usual. if it just backfires for you then you simply swap every cable on top of the distributor with the exact opposite one. it's exactly 4 swaps. I hope you know what I mean here. that will cause your distributor to be 180 degrees turned the lazy man way. try again.
If all fails and you can't get the ignition right go for the not so lazy way:
If the starter is attached and you trust the markings on the balancer then I would propose the following:
- remove #1 spark plug
- remove cable to coil+ so the engine cannot fire (at any time)
- shove a rag into the hole of #1. so that the rag blocks the spark plug hole good and proper but the rag is not inside combustion chamber
- make sure car is in parl
- connect with a screwdriver or whatever you have the battery terminal of selonoid with the 'S' terminal of starter selonoid. it's the small one next to the big battery terminal. usually labeled 'S'. This will cause the engine to crank. just give it a very short time so the engine turns a bit
- keep doing that until the rag pops out of #1 cylinder (you'll see it and you'll hear a pop)
- now the engine should be _very_ close to #1 TDC at compression stroke. The timing mark should be near TDC mark on balancer. not more than a quarter turn away
- manually turn the engine now so TDC matches up with timing marker.
- replace spark plug, replace the coil+ cable
Now you have the engine where it should be
now you put the distributor where it should be. where you plug #1 on rotor cap and point the rotor to is usually irrellevant, but the wiring is neater and in some cases you'll have a lot less problems sticking to 1'o clock position for #1 cylinder on cap. what you do is:
replace the distributor (without cap). replace in such a way that when the distributor is fully seated that the rotor points to one o'clock. as if you were looking at the distributor from above as a clock. it should kind point towards your master cylinder. the same time the housing should be that the vacuum canister points forward to radiator and you have plenty of turning clockwise and anticlockwise.
- then you place the cap back on the distributor. and check which of the ports on cap matches most closely to 1 o'clock as well. So that when you have the cap on the rotor points pretty much exactly to a terminal in the cap that is at the same #1 direction. In this terminal you place the plugwire for #1 cylinder. and then follow anticlockwise in the firing oder. so anticlockwise to #1 terminal is the one next in your firing order.
this way tyhe engine should fire up with turning the distributor a bit clockwise or anticlockwise to adjust for timing
timing the engine at number 5 assumes that you used a timing tape to the balancer when #5 was at TDC. If you just place it back togetehr with #5 pointing because #5 was piston up, but just start it without making any marks at balancer, then no, you just use #1 for timing as usual.
you might run into the following issues:
a) the #5 cylinder piston might be fully up, but we can't tell if #5 is actually at compression stroke (both valves closed). if that's the case, then pointing rotor to #5 should start the engine. you know when the camshaft (and distributor) turns once, then the crank turns twice so with one full of distributor you'll have #5 piston up twice. once when it just fires and once when it just finished blowing exhaust and starts sucking fresh air.
earlier you asked how to turn the crank. the idea of pushing the car works very well when it's a manual. it's a no go when automatic. With automatic you have to manually turn the crank or use the starter.
so if you plan to point the rotor to #5 cylinder, because that one is uop. go ahead. if the engine starts, good. time it at #1 like usual. if it just backfires for you then you simply swap every cable on top of the distributor with the exact opposite one. it's exactly 4 swaps. I hope you know what I mean here. that will cause your distributor to be 180 degrees turned the lazy man way. try again.
If all fails and you can't get the ignition right go for the not so lazy way:
If the starter is attached and you trust the markings on the balancer then I would propose the following:
- remove #1 spark plug
- remove cable to coil+ so the engine cannot fire (at any time)
- shove a rag into the hole of #1. so that the rag blocks the spark plug hole good and proper but the rag is not inside combustion chamber
- make sure car is in parl
- connect with a screwdriver or whatever you have the battery terminal of selonoid with the 'S' terminal of starter selonoid. it's the small one next to the big battery terminal. usually labeled 'S'. This will cause the engine to crank. just give it a very short time so the engine turns a bit
- keep doing that until the rag pops out of #1 cylinder (you'll see it and you'll hear a pop)
- now the engine should be _very_ close to #1 TDC at compression stroke. The timing mark should be near TDC mark on balancer. not more than a quarter turn away
- manually turn the engine now so TDC matches up with timing marker.
- replace spark plug, replace the coil+ cable
Now you have the engine where it should be
now you put the distributor where it should be. where you plug #1 on rotor cap and point the rotor to is usually irrellevant, but the wiring is neater and in some cases you'll have a lot less problems sticking to 1'o clock position for #1 cylinder on cap. what you do is:
replace the distributor (without cap). replace in such a way that when the distributor is fully seated that the rotor points to one o'clock. as if you were looking at the distributor from above as a clock. it should kind point towards your master cylinder. the same time the housing should be that the vacuum canister points forward to radiator and you have plenty of turning clockwise and anticlockwise.
- then you place the cap back on the distributor. and check which of the ports on cap matches most closely to 1 o'clock as well. So that when you have the cap on the rotor points pretty much exactly to a terminal in the cap that is at the same #1 direction. In this terminal you place the plugwire for #1 cylinder. and then follow anticlockwise in the firing oder. so anticlockwise to #1 terminal is the one next in your firing order.
this way tyhe engine should fire up with turning the distributor a bit clockwise or anticlockwise to adjust for timing
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