timing an engine

[monterey1962]

I get the general idea of it, but what is the procedure for timing our cars? What marks do you go by? I need to time the '91 in the near future (need to buy the light).

[DarkKnight]

Eh, Someone corect me if im wrong but heres how u do it.

Have the car off disconecte the battery go under the car find the harmonic balancer find 10 btc i belive and make a mark. erm take the number one plug wire loose connect ure light disconnect the spoute connecteor put the battery terminals back on. turn the car over aim the light at the harmonic balancer if it's at 10 btc ure good if not take a distrubture wrench loosen the distrubuter turn the dist. Acordingly untill u reach your mark.
Tighten ure dist back up. but dont bust ure nut. turn car off take timing light off the spark plugg. put plug wire back on. reconnect the spoute connectr.
Enjoy



Now then with that said. I could never get mine to run right that way... i had to do the timing by ear.. i played with it for over a weak untill i got the cam engine ect all sounding the way i wanted.. Then agine i have a major prob with stalling which may be due to the timing by ear.... But i dont have poping/Hicuping anymore..


Reguards D/K

[86VickyLX]

So these marks are easily visible? Do you have to have the balancer in a specific place? Or just mark it and run it?

[monterey1962]

I may just play with it and see what I can get out of the engine. $40 for a timing light is beyond my current budget.

[gadget73]

http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00166.html is how to do it

[FatNasty]

http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00166.html is how to do it

Yep, thats how i did it. I got a timing light for $12 at harbor freight though, seems to work great.

[DarkKnight]

One more thing id say on this, is to mark where the distrubture was to start with. take a marker or something and make a mark on the dist and somewhere on the engine , i myself allways used tape. good black tape.


Anyways. just something i have found helpfull.

[FordInPossession]

Paypal me $20 and I'll ship you and inductive timing light with advance

[monterey1962]

Messed with the timing and ended up just leaving it where it originally was. I did, however, have to adjust the TPS voltage. Was at .90. Put it up to .98.

[DarkKnight]

You have inspired me to fuck with my timing agine .. Just thought id let you know hehe. I think ima buy a "New" light though.... I dont trust my ebay one... from the 60's..

[OVERKILL]

Messed with the timing and ended up just leaving it where it originally was. I did, however, have to adjust the TPS voltage. Was at .90. Put it up to .98.

The ECM zeros the TPS on startup, the .98v thing is a myth. A very widely distributed one at that. I have yet to see a factory Ford TPS EVER be at .98, they range from the high .7's to just over 1v stock, and the ECM simply uses the base voltage as reference and anything above that is open throttle. As long as it's not below .63 or something or above 1.2v, you'll be fine.

The easy way to time them is to use chalk or whiteout and mark the balancer where you want it (10 degrees, 14 degrees....etc) before top dead centre and that way, you know you'll be able to see your marker.

Keep in mind, the balancers on 302's are prone to spinning. This will completely prevent you from properly timing your engine.

I had a buddy a few weeks back with his stock Mustang at the track and we went to throw some more timing at it. Light on the balancer, SPOUT out showed like 30 degrees RETARDED!!!! Yet it was actually just stock timed. The outer ring on the balancer had spun on the rubber. Put a new balancer on and it magically showed it was at 10 degrees like it should have been For the guy timing by ear, keep this in mind, as it might be what was happening to you.