timing chain/ distributor?

[84merc951]

i have a buddy that has a 85 gm and he was having a hard time with setting his timing. when i got to his house he had the distributor timing all messed up and pionting in the wrong direction so i thought. here is what it looked like.. look at how far advanced it is just by looking at the tfi

so i pulled the dizzy and put #1 on tdc took the spout connector. his motor has the notch in the block and in the dizzy so you can alighn them and be around 10 btdc just how my 84 and 86 is. turned the key on and start it and nothing. advanced it a bit and nothing. so i put at back to the same spot he had it and it fired right up. checked timing and was at 10 btdc. hooked the spout back up and was at 15btdc. im baffled ive never seen this before. am i missing something here or is his timing chain that loose.

[rellik god]

from sbftech.com

EFI Distributor Installation and Initial Spark Calibration
« on: June 24, 2007, 04:07:36 pm »

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EFI Initial Ignition Timing Calibration and Distributor Installation

This is a question that usually comes up once in awhile, and for the new Ford enthusiast the following procedure will help bumping up that timing and make sure the distributor is installed correctly.

If you have removed the distributor for any type of work, you have to make sure it is installed correctly with #1 cylinder at compression TDC. The following will help you make sure it is installed right.

Tools:


•½" Combination wrench or the "L" shaped ½" timing wrench
•White Out or liquid paper
•Carburetor cleaner
•Clean rag and/or napkins
•Timing Light

Installing Distributor at #1 Compression:

This is the procedure I always use to make sure #1 cylinder is at compression TDC and not the exhaust cycle or 180° off.


•Remove #1 spark plug.
•Plug the spark plug hole with a piece of rag or a napkin.
•Either have an assistant short click the starter, or use a remote starter switch (a long screwdriver will also work ) to short click the starter solenoid.
•As soon as the napkin/rag is expelled from the cylinder (sign of compression stroke), rotate the engine by hand using a 15/16" socket and handle for the crankshaft bolt, until the TDC mark is aligned with the timing marker. Even though the 10° BTDC mark shows on the pic, you should use the TDC or 0° mark.
•Now it will be a good time to clean the timing scale on the balancer with some carburetor cleaner and a rag, you should also make the necessary marks with white out or liquid paper, it will make it easier to read when you're setting the initial timing later on.





•Install/Stab distributor noting the orientation of the TFI module connector (if it applies) and the direction of the rotor. You could also use the PIP sensor magnet as a guide, as shown in the 1-tooth-off retarded example below. To correct the condition illustrated by the red line, the distributor would have to be re-indexed using the green line as the reference position point.

















•The spark plug cables should be arranged in the order shown below for a 5.0L HO or 351W, if a regular 302w is the one been worked, simply use the 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8 firing order instead.

[gadget73]

Sounds like you have the distributor a tooth off.

[84merc951]

thanks guys. i guesss i did put it a tooth off. funny thing is i put it a 12 btdc and he said its running the same it did before he pulled the dizzy out. i guess it doesnt matter maybe. i gotta buy this guy a computer so he can join the fourm

[gadget73]

as long as it times up OK, the TFI being in a different spot doesn't matter all that much. One thing you can't do with these that did work on carb models is jumping the wires around to compensate for the distributor being dropped wrong. #1 needs to be in the right spot, or the injectors end up firing at the wrong time and it runs generally retarded as a result. it will run, but it won't run right.