1972 Merc. 800 3 dots on flywheel

[Gomer50]

I had taken the outer flywheel off not paying to much attention to the 3 dots on the flywheel and where they were in reference to TDC.I have timed it according to the advise I have gotten here for which I am very thankful.I read the manual from time to time and for some reason it tells me to find TDC and then rotate the flywheel so that the 3 dots,center of crankshaft and center of distributor shaft line up.And then move the distributor pully so that the arrow points directly at the three dots.I may be doing this wrong but I understood I was to find TDC and point my distributor arrow to the center of crankshaft and reinstall belt done.If I recall before I removed the flywheel those 3 three dots were somewhere between 5 and 7 degrees BTDC on the top cowling timing decal at number 1 cylinder TDC.Question is where are those 3 dots on the flywheel supposed to be when number 1 piston is at TDC ?? No other markings on the flywheel.

 

[Gomer50]

Re: 1972 Merc. 800 3 dots on flywheel

These are the instructions according to my manual]

 

[Chris1956]

Re: 1972 Merc. 800 3 dots on flywheel

Those dots are to locate the timing decal. Set the motor to TDC. If the dots do not line up with the distributor pulley arrow, and are off by some multiple of 45*, the outer flywheel is incorrectly installed.

 

[Gomer50]

Re: 1972 Merc. 800 3 dots on flywheel

Thanks Chris when my motor is set to TDC the three dots are lined up exactly to TDC mark on the cowl timing decal because that is where I put the flywheel back on.I know thats not the way it was but I dont have any Idea where it is supposed be @ TDC. According to a picture in the manual the three dots are somewhere in the neighborhood between 5 and 7 degree's BTC on the timing decal when nr. 1 is at TDC.So the question that I would like to know is where the 3 dots are supposed to be when NR.1 piston is at TDC in reference to the timing decal on the cowl.Thanks to all that have the patience to answer some of my off the wall questions.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: 1972 Merc. 800 3 dots on flywheel

The dots serve to mark the place where the cast arrow on the dist. pulley should point, at TDC. This sets aproximate static timing.