Setting timing/distributor

[Dante04SRT]

I will be assembling my 3.0 within this next week, with the hopes of getting it started and in the water by Sunday...

The only part that I don't quite get (yet, REALLY should) is setting timing. All of my vehicles are and my previous ones have been distributorless, so I've never learned how to set the timing. I understand TDC and the tic marks on the pulley, etc, I've just never put it all together before.

Since I've got the head off right now, I can very easily see TDC and make sure its not 180* out. What then?

 

[MikDee]

Re: Setting timing/distributor

Just in case you have 2 pistons at TDC at the same time, crankshaft TDC will come up twice with 1 turn of your camshaft (2 turns of the crank, to 1 turn of the cam usually). Your camshaft will determine which one is ready to fire, at what time. Then you set your distributor to match.

 

[alaska_av8r]

Re: Setting timing/distributor

make sure the rotor on your distributor is pointing at the number one spark plug....if not then you either:

1. shift all of the wires around the distributor until number 1 aligns with rotor...(careful not to get them out of firing sequence) or

2. undo the distributor bolt, gently pull the distributor up until you can rotate the rotor to align closely to number one, this can be tricky since the rotor rotates as you remove/install it hard to explain but due to distributor gearing the rotor rotates a bit putting it in or out.....the distributor also has to align with oil pump shaft which fits into the end of distributor shaft...

have timing light ready and give it a try at cranking......

hope that helps....and hopefully it makes sense kind of hard to put it into words when I'm this tired.