Problem with early 160 mercruiser to later 165 mercruiser, timing issue.

[Bergy]

So I cracked my block on my 160 I6 Mercruiser last season. Purchased a mercruiser 165 to replace it. My question is about timing tab and harmonic balancer. I took the balancer off of my old engine and put it on the 165. The problem is that the old engine had the timing tab at the 2 o'clock position and the new engine has the timing tab at the 10 o'clock position. If I replace the timing covers will I be able to time it correctly? Will it be right? It is running now. I took the old balancer and made a new mark on the balacer I was putting on. I am concerned that the old balancer had spun. It appeared to wobble a little with the engine running. Any help would be great. I an going to take it out this weekend and have my son run it at 3000 rpm and I am going to move the distributor to get the best result. ANY ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Silvertip]

You don't time an engine that way. You do it with a timing light. Timing by ear is a good way to be in the market for another engine, a tow, or both. Timing tabs and balancers need to match. If you marked the balancer perfectly the same as the other one then you should be ok. But keep in mind one or two degrees of error in the mark results in one or two degrees of error in timing.

 

[Bergy]

I know that is not the ideal way to time an engine, but I was not sure if there were any other options. So if I take the timing cover and match it to the balancer it was with, I will be able to time it with a light? I did mark the balancer exactly, but I can't be sure that the old one was not spun. I wobbled. I think I will just replace the timing cover to match the balancer.

 

[Fed]

You could confirm everything with a piston stop tool.

 

[Bergy]

Old timing cover off, cleaned up, seal replaced and ready to go on in the morning. River by noon, I hope.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

I think I'd find exact TDC on the engine and see where it lands on the balancer.

this guy has a great easy way to get TDC exact using a compound gauge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2sA-q7_FtQ

 

[Bergy]

So before I replaced the timing cover I did some checking. Brought #1 to TDC the timing mark on the balancer lined up with 0. I pulled the cap off and the rotor was pointing directly at the number one position on the cap. It appears to me to be timed correctly. Am I missing something?? Any tricks to set the carb, maybe that is the issue.

 

[Bergy]

Replaced the timing cover so it matched the balancer. It was a couple of degrees off. I installed a Pertronix Ignitor 2 ignition system and it seems to start better at 4 degrees instead of 6 degrees. Any help would be great.

 

[Bondo]

Replaced the timing cover so it matched the balancer. It was a couple of degrees off. I installed a Pertronix Ignitor 2 ignition system and it seems to start better at 4 degrees instead of 6 degrees. Any help would be great.

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,...... Have ya had it out, 'n Run it in the water,..??

Runnin' it at 4? won't hurt it, if it don't wanta start at 6?,.....

 

[Bergy]

I have had it out on the water. It runs great, good hole shot and top speed. It just starts hard after cooling down.

 

[Bergy]

I am wondering if the distributor is off a tooth. How many degrees are represented by each tooth on the distributor?

 

[Fed]

How did you find TDC, without using a piston stop tool you could easily be a few degrees out.
Without an accurate starting point everything after it means nothing.

 

[Bergy]

I used a compound gauge to get TDC. The balancer lines up with 0 on the timing tab. and the rotor point exactly to the number one wire tower on the cap with number one cylinder at TDC. Still not sure what to do or where to go from here.

 

[Fed]

I watched the compound gauge video & have to say I thought it was a bit flaky, you have to remember when the crankshaft journal is going over the top (TDC) there is very little piston movement and I have doubts if that method would give you an accurate TDC.
I don't think you have a problem but I'd want to check it out of curiosity.
Harder starting could be something entirely different and setting it back t 4 degrees is simply helping it start easier.