Can someone tell me the best way to get to TDC on my motor. I am guessing to pull all the plugs to releive the compression. Put a socket on the crank bolt and turn but how do I know exactly when I am at TDC. Once TDC I redrop the distributor with the rotor pointing towards the #1 cylinder on the cap? Thanks
Tony

 

DO NOT use the bolt!!!! Otherwise, we will surely be reading another post about "stripped my crank, how do I fix it".

Get a "strap wrench" and use that around the crank pulley.

You can look in the #1 cyl and see the piston. You could put something in there and let the piston some up and hit it as you spin the crank with the above-mentioned wrench; mark the balancer where it lines up with the timing mark, when the piston stops; then turn the crank backwards with the wrench until it hits again, and the exact mid-point between those, is TDC. You'll want to make sure of course, that you're working with the instance of #1 TDC that is #1 firing, and not the one that's #6 firing (and #1 end of exhaust stroke and beginning of intake stroke). Drop the dist in, with the rotor pointing just in front of straight to the driver's side; it will turn as the dist drops in; and when it settles all the way in, #1 should be on the front of the dist cap, just to the driver's side of straight ahead.

It would be an ideal time to check the accuracy of your balancer's timing mark.... which I'd almost bet money is off, like about everybody else's.

 

Thanks - Thats funny about the crank bolt, that is how I ended up rebuilding my engine! I was re-installing my crank bolt and 20 years of fatigue and gues what - Snapped in the crank. Pulled the engine, rebuilt it and life is good.