ArdWrknTrk Posted December 2, 2019 Share Posted December 2, 2019 Ive never needed more than a pencil, stick or screwdriver to get close enough. I use my finger to feel for compression stroke. Close enough for what? It's certainly not "close enough" for setting cam or ignition timing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Cecil Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Ive never needed more than a pencil, stick or screwdriver to get close enough. I use my finger to feel for compression stroke. Close enough for what? It's certainly not "close enough" for setting cam or ignition timing. Cam sprocket and crank sprocket only go on one way. Line the marks up and youve got the crank and cam synchronized. Get the #1 cylinder up near tdc, check the marks on the dampner. O degs there and you are at absolute TDC. drop the dizzy in with rotor facing the correct position. Hook up wires and plugs. Remove mechanical and vacuum advances. Start up engine. Throw the light on it and set base timing. Replace advance mechanisms. Your good to go. All you have to do is get the #1 cylinder "close" enough to get the engine fired up so you can throw the light on it. Ive never done anything else, or ever worried about the perfect timing before first start. Never had a problem get a otherwise healthy engine to run well with that procedure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzFace2 Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Cam sprocket and crank sprocket only go on one way. Line the marks up and youve got the crank and cam synchronized. Get the #1 cylinder up near tdc, check the marks on the dampner. O degs there and you are at absolute TDC. drop the dizzy in with rotor facing the correct position. Hook up wires and plugs. Remove mechanical and vacuum advances. Start up engine. Throw the light on it and set base timing. Replace advance mechanisms. Your good to go. All you have to do is get the #1 cylinder "close" enough to get the engine fired up so you can throw the light on it. Ive never done anything else, or ever worried about the perfect timing before first start. Never had a problem get a otherwise healthy engine to run well with that procedure. I am with you but ....... I can see their point also. If the ring slipped on these old dampers when you put it on "O degs there and you are at absolute TDC" it may not be. That is where the piston stop comes into play to check of it slipped or not. Also when deg a cam you have to be 100% sure of TDC and why the piston stop. Ray, I have done it your way and never had issues with getting the motor to fire up. Dave ---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Cecil Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Cam sprocket and crank sprocket only go on one way. Line the marks up and youve got the crank and cam synchronized. Get the #1 cylinder up near tdc, check the marks on the dampner. O degs there and you are at absolute TDC. drop the dizzy in with rotor facing the correct position. Hook up wires and plugs. Remove mechanical and vacuum advances. Start up engine. Throw the light on it and set base timing. Replace advance mechanisms. Your good to go. All you have to do is get the #1 cylinder "close" enough to get the engine fired up so you can throw the light on it. Ive never done anything else, or ever worried about the perfect timing before first start. Never had a problem get a otherwise healthy engine to run well with that procedure. I am with you but ....... I can see their point also. If the ring slipped on these old dampers when you put it on "O degs there and you are at absolute TDC" it may not be. That is where the piston stop comes into play to check of it slipped or not. Also when deg a cam you have to be 100% sure of TDC and why the piston stop. Ray, I have done it your way and never had issues with getting the motor to fire up. Dave ---- Yeah, if you are degreeing a cam with an adjustable sprocket....I can see why you should check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Yeah, if you are degreeing a cam with an adjustable sprocket....I can see why you should check. Or if you're looking to apply timing tape to the damper, or if you're breaking in a new cam on an expensive engine, you want to be ABSOLUTELY SURE that that timing is on the money. Because if it's not, you don't have twenty minutes at 2,500 rpm to save it. There are lots of reasons to do it right. Look at the pictures Gary posted of Scott assembling Big Blue's shortblock. If anyone could determine tdc by eye you'd think it would be someone who's won the Engine Masters... But he uses a dial indicator and a degree wheel. (Held on with a alternator pulley) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Cecil Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Or if you're looking to apply timing tape to the damper, or if you're breaking in a new cam on an expensive engine, you want to be ABSOLUTELY SURE that that timing is on the money. Because if it's not, you don't have twenty minutes at 2,500 rpm to save it. There are lots of reasons to do it right. Look at the pictures Gary posted of Scott assembling Big Blue's shortblock. If anyone could determine tdc by eye you'd think it would be someone who's won the Engine Masters... But he uses a dial indicator and a degree wheel. (Held on with a alternator pulley) Gotcha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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