Help! I cant get timing set. Problem solved and yes I'm a dumass

Your problem is not uncommon since Chevrolet used several different timing mark pointer locations on some when at TDC it will be at 12 O'clock with an aftermarket chrome cover and pointer it would be at about 3 O'clock.A Professional Products 8000 balancer takes this into account and has all the timing marks on one balancer check out their website for pictures on a pdf file also check out Amazon.com as you can pick one up for $48 with free shipping.Small block Fords are also guilty of timing pointers being relocated and the Professional Products balancer has 3 different timing marks to compensate for that too I am using one on my 302 Ford.

 

Am I the second guy to ask if the cam was degreed when installed?

 

If youre balancer is pointing at the 12 o clock position then you need to point the dis to the front of the motor and not at the number one plug. Had this problem on a small block before.And hell it aint gonna hurt to try it but im sure it will work. Hope this helps.

 

Ok when I got home I pulled the valve cover back off. And spun it when it was on compression stroke on # 1 the intake valve started to open. Pulled the front back apart and checked the marks again. They lined up but not on compression stroke. Rotated the cam 180 and tried again. Bingo the exhaust valve started to open after compression. Put it back to gether and checked compression stroke again. Dizzy was wired right, hit the key and it fired right up. Alot easier than before. Ran around the block and it ran great. I am waiting for a bud to get here with a vacuum gauge and I will set the timing with it and see what it does.
I didn't think it would even run if the cam was 180 out but the dam thing did, just not very good.
Thank you all for you help and suggestions on this.

 

I thought you were supposed to line up the marks on the gears.??? Or do they do things diffrently these days??

With #1 piston at TDC. on compression stroke the DOT on crank gear will be at 12 o' clock straight up. With cam gear on cam, turn cam untill the DOT on gear is stright down 6 o'clock. Remove cam gear install chain, and put gear back on. DOTS should be stright over top of each other. MAKE SURE THEY OUR IN A STRIGHT LINE WITH EACH OTHER.

I see you found it!!!!

 

I thought so to. But apparently it fires when the dot on the cam is at 12. I spun it before i put it back together and it didn't line up on compression.

 

Maybe I'm missing something here. The cam mark will line up with the crank mark when it's at the top and also at the bottom because the cam only turns once for every 2 turns of the crank. That shouldn't even make a difference.

 

The cam was not 180 out. Happens to alot to guys that just put a timing set in and don't turn crank 1 rotation to put it at TDC on the compression stroke. So what really happens is dizzy is 180 out.

 

Number 1 is firing when both marks are straight up. If you put the dots together, number 6 should be firing. But it's gonna be far enough off (180 out, like everyone says) that the engine will just pop and backfire-no running.
Maybe you were a tooth off and fixed it when you reset the timing gears.
Larry T

 

A camshaft can't be 180 degrees off because the camshaft turns once for every 2 engine revolutions. It can be between 1 and 179 degrees off. The distributor runs off the camshaft so it has to be installed with the valves in the correct position. The distributor had to be 180 degrees off but I don't know how it ran at all.

 

I tried moving the distributor 180 Sunday and it would not start, backfired and popes like it was 180 out.

 

All I know is today when I pulled the front apart when the crank was at 12 and the cam was at 6 the intake valve was about to open. the exhaust opens at 12. So that's where I put it and it runs so much better now.

 

So if i'm at TDC on the compression stroke(SBC), should the marks both be at 12 o'clock, or the crank at 12 and the cam mark at 6?

 

The cam is what decides what stroke your on. No such thing as a cam 180 out.