Hey guys i just dropped my new 383 stroker in, and it doesnt have any kind of timing indicator on the timing chain cover. How the hell do i set the initial timing? i guess i need some special timing light? I read a thing in summit about setting initial timing before you ever crank a motor, but its impossible without a guage.

:-(

shane

 

data stream on my scanner reads timing degrees, never tried it with the est unplugged but it ought to work. can set timing to produce max vacuum and get you close. you can also advance it till you get knock counts on the scanner and then back it up a few degrees.

 

guess this is a good time to mention i have an aftermarket HEI distributor, and its carbd.

Should i just buy a different timing chain cover? since the marks should be in the same place, maybe i will just make a scratch in my new timing cover in the same spot where the guage was in the old cover... Shouldnt that work?

I havent even checked but i hope the balancer has a LINE on it.. surely it does?

Why do they even make such covers :-(

 

You need one of these.



You can get one at any local chain store like AutoZone or PepBoys. Just make sure it's for the size balancer you used. 2 bolts and voila. :lala:

 

thanks! wonder what size balancer i have.. every answer leads to another question! .

where does that attach? share a timing chain cover? thanks again for you help

 

Set it to where it runs the best. If it knocks, back it off until it stops.

Not so hard.. no mark required.

 

Those bolt on timing pointers will work fine but you need to know when the piston is at true TDC to set the pointer.

Proper timing will make the most power but if you don't know what the timing is then you're just guessing at the proper timing. Advancing the timing until the engine pings then backing it off a few degrees will not produce the most power.

Once you get one of those bolt on pointers you'll also need to find TDC. This requires a piston stop and a degree wheel. Once you find the exact TDC you can adjust the pointer to zero degrees. My adjustable pointer is at 8*. If I tried to time the engine at the zero mark, the timing would always be out 8*.

Determining the best timing is trial and error because engines are so different. Just because one person's engine likes 10* initial and 36* total doesn't mean your engine will. Paying for some dyno time will produce the best results but making 1/4 mile passes will also work. Adjust the timing up 2* at a time until the mph drops off then go back 2*.

You'll have to play with the weights and spring inside the distributor. If the factory setting is 10* initial and 36* total and you bump the initial up to 15* then the total will go to 41*. Although the engine may like the higher initial timing, it may not like the 41* total. You need to adjust the weights to bring the total timing back down to 36* (or whatever timing your engine likes best)

 

ive numerous posts on how to do this, but there seems to be a lot of conflict.

I dont have a piston stop or a degree wheel. is this something i can do with the balancer on ? i do have the valve covers off, and the #1 spark plug removed.

I was planning on turning the motor over until i felt air coming out of the #1 cylinder, and then leaving the line on the balancer pretty much stright up. Also making sure the #1 intake and #1 exhaust valves were closed.

This should get me pretty close shouldnt it?

i emailed the engine builder and asks him who the hell wants a engine without a timing indicator :-(

He said the motor ships at TDC, but i have already turned it to bolt it to the flywheel.

 

after doing a lot of reading, its obvious i need at least a piston stop.

wonder if normal autoparts stores carry them? my heads have angled plugs, hope that doesnt throw it off!

shane

 

I had the same problem, after 20,000 miles, I still have never properly set the timing.

To start it up, do what you said, turn it over until you feel air coming out of #1, make sure the rotor is set just before the #1 on the dist. cap. Shoot a LITTLE gas down the carb.
Have an assistant crank the motor, while you turn the dist. back and forth a little bit.
baring any other problems, it should start right up.

 

welp, i bought a timing tab for a 8" balancer (what i have) from autozone, and installed it. Then i turned the motor over to right where i thought top dead center would be. (on the compression stroke, both valves on #1 closed). Suprisingly it landed on the 4 degrees BTDC mark. I went ahead and rolled it until the tab showed "0", and im going to take my chances. I think its pretty damn close.

I just dont understand if TDC is supposed to be at the beginning of the compression stroke, the middle, or the end.

Thanks for your help guys.. now i juts have to get the damn valve covers to fit. ;-)

 

Because of piston dwell, there's no way to determine true TDC without a piston stop and a degree wheel. Piston dwell is how many degrees the piston is at TDC while the crank is still turning. Even if it was 10*, without knowing true TDC you could be 10* out on the timing. You want the timing marks to be right when the crankshaft is directly below the piston or at true TDC.

Please read complete instructions from Compcams or CraneCams on how to do it. Using a piston stop and a degree wheel, you rotate the crank by hand until the piston hits the stop. Look at the coathanger pointer on the degree wheel and write down the degrees. It could be anything depending on how you bolted the degree wheel on or where you position the pointer on it. Lets say it says 30* BTDC. Rotate the crankshaft backwards by hand until the piston comes back up and hits the stop again. Look at the degree wheel. It may now say 12* BTDC. Half way between both marks is 18*. Remove the piston stop and rotate the crank until 18* is indicated on the degree wheel. The #1 piston is now at true TDC. Check the timing mark indicator to see if it's at 0*.

I mentioned reading instructions. All the spark plugs should be out. The rockers need to be off on the cylinder you want to put the piston stop into or they'll hit the stop. Failure to read instruction can cause damage or give incorrect readings.

As I mentioned above when I did mine, my timing marks were out 8* when the piston was at true TDC. 8* can make a lot of difference in performance. At least when you think you have the base timing set at 8* and it's really sitting at zero. Bumping it up to 16* increases performance when all you did was move it up to 8*.

My distributor is locked out. There's no mechanical or vacuum advance. My base timing is the same as my total and I'm currently running 39*. Having a locked out distributor isn't recommended for a street car. You need spark advance.