When setting the timing from scratch, there's a couple things I'm curious about.

1) My balancer has two marks. One thicker than the other. The smaller one has white paint around it. Which mark is the mark I need, and what's the other one for?

2) When rotating the crank to bring it to TDC, do I bring it to 0* TDC or do I bring it to 10* TDC (10* is the timing for the v6)?

3) Going off the previous question, my reasoning is to bring it to 0* TDC, drop the distributor in correctly, then set spark advance when the engine is running to bring it to 10* with a timing light. Or is it the other way? Rotate engine until balancer says 10*, then drop the distributor in and verify with timing light?

 

Ignore the marks all together for now. Make sure your cylinder #1 is at TDC, drop in the dizzy, you may have to mess with the oil pump drive shaft to get the distributer to line up.

 

How do I know I'm at TDC without using the balancer marks? I find that sticking a screwdriver in the spark plug hole isn't a very accurate method.

 

Have a buddy crank your car over for you. Pull plug #1 and put your finger on it. You'll know when your on the compression stroke. You'll feel the air blow your finger right off the hole.

 

Yes, but you begin to feel compression well before it hits TDC. When you no longer feel it, you're either at TDC or too far. How do you accurately tell, as you suggested, without using the balancer marks?

 

Once you do what I stated, start the car up. Either advance or retard the timing from there. You say you have two marks on your balancer? Explain that to me. The mark on mine I go off of has a grove on it, almost like a keyway.

 

For awhile, the factory was providing a "probe" timing capability. The wide mark is for the probe, and the thin one is the visual using the timing tab and timing light.

I assume this is the V6 we're talking about. The '82 LG4 305 I just obtained has the probe provision as well. My previous '86 LG4 did not.

 

Yep, I know the mark you're speaking of. I have two of them. Both notched out as they always are. One is real thin. The second is about four inches away, also on the balancer, but about double the size. No paint there.

Let me try to make my question a bit more clear: 10* means 10* Before Top Dead Center. So 0* is TDC. So... do I drop the distributor in with the engine at 0*, or do I drop it in at 10*? It would make sense to drop it in at 0* TDC and then use a timing light to adjust spark advance until the mark is lining up with 10*. Is this not correct?

 

Okay, let's be clear: It doesn't matter.

+/- 10 degrees is close enough to get the engine started. Then you set the timing at 10 degrees BTDC with the timing light, while the engine is running.

 

Alright. Thanks then.