Ray102386

Im a newbie yes....i have never had to deal with setting the timing on a vehicle. I jsut replaced alot of crap and that includes my timing chain cover, well it has no pointer now so help me out here. I just read this from a tech article and need some one to help me imporvise...

8. Now you get to install your distributor. Pop out the number one spark plug, and have someone stick their finger in the hole. Get a wrench on the crankshaft pully, and turn it CLOCKWISE till your buddy feels good pressure on his finger. Turn the crankshaft a bit more untill the pully grove lines up with the 8 degrees notch on the timing indicator. Now try and install your distributor. Disconnect and remove the cap. The wires that come out of the base point directly forward, with the vaccum advance can off to the left. However, you'll need to turn the rotor around some. Because of the angle cut on the gears, it needs to rotate a bit before it gets to the bottom. When this thing is in, you want the rotor to be pointing towards the #1 cylinder firing post. This would be facing forward, slightly to the right of the vehicle axis. One problem may be the oil pump driveshaft. This needs to hook into the bottom of the distributor. If the distributor isnt perfectly flat on the manifold, and pressed tight and gapless to it, this is probably where your problem is. To move around the driveshaft, you'll need a long flatheaded screwdriver. To use it, close your garage door, or at least make sure no one is looking. You'll need to 'mount' the engine bay with flashlight and screwdriver in hand. Shine the light down while you rotate the shaft. You'll need to do a bunch of this till you end up with oil pump engagement as well as pointing to the #1 cylinder firing spot.

No timing pointer...what do i do?

Apeiron

You can't set your timing without a timing pointer. If your cover doesn't have one, you'll have to add one. They cost a few dollars at the parts store for one that will mount with two of the timing cover bolts. It might not work with your stock balancer mark, so you'd have to find TDC with a piston stop and make a new mark.

Ray102386

There is a little groove in the top of the new balancer, is this the timing mark?

Apeiron

Yes