Ford Falcon Message Board: Timing marks, timing, etc.

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Timing marks, timing, etc.

Posted by JimG on 3/18/2008, 1:08 pm
70.110.122.12

OK, I thought I was smarter than this! I need one of you experts to tell me what I did wrong.

We bought a running parts car ('63 Falcon) with a good 170 in it. We drove the car for about a month before parting it out. I did a gasket job on the engine (oil pan, rear main oil seal, valve cover, timing cover, timing cover seal), cleaned the engine, painted it, and plopped it over into our '63 Falcon project. Of course, I removed the distributor to do this.

I set the distributor by turning the engine clockwise by hand until I began to feel compression on #1 cylinder. I continued turning the engine until the timing mark was at about 5 degrees BTDC, I set the distributor so the rotor button so it pointed to #1, locked the distributor down, and hit the key. Nothing!

Long story short - I later discovered that the timing mark was nowhere near 0 when #1 cylinder was at TDC (you can see the top of the piston when the spark plug is removed). I finally made my own mark on the damper when #1 piston was at TDC, set the timing again using the same method described above, and it fired right up. I timed the engine by ear, checked the timing with a timing light, and found my new mark at about 8 degrees before TDC. Viola!

What gives? Isn't the timing mark on the damper supposed to align with the TDC mark on the timing cover when #1 is at TDC? I wonder if I have the wrong damper? Is the Ford 6 damper made in such a way that the outer ring can slip, making the timing mark wrong?

Any help is appreciated.

A confused Jim

Message Thread:

Timing marks, timing, etc. - JimG 3/18/2008, 1:08 pm
- Re: Timing marks, timing, etc. - Bob 4/10/2008, 3:48 am
- Re: Timing marks, timing, etc. - dmac 3/20/2008, 8:53 am
  - Re: Timing marks, timing, etc. - JimG 3/22/2008, 6:22 am
    - Re: Timing marks, timing, etc. - dmac 3/22/2008, 10:22 am
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--Previous Message-- : OK, I thought I was smarter than this! : I need one of you experts to tell me : what I did wrong. : : We bought a running parts car ('63 : Falcon) with a good 170 in it. We : drove the car for about a month : before parting it out. I did a : gasket job on the engine (oil pan, : rear main oil seal, valve cover, : timing cover, timing cover seal), : cleaned the engine, painted it, and : plopped it over into our '63 Falcon : project. Of course, I removed the : distributor to do this. : : I set the distributor by turning the : engine clockwise by hand until I : began to feel compression on #1 : cylinder. I continued turning the : engine until the timing mark was at : about 5 degrees BTDC, I set the : distributor so the rotor button so : it pointed to #1, locked the : distributor down, and hit the key. : Nothing! : : Long story short - I later : discovered that the timing mark was : nowhere near 0 when #1 cylinder was : at TDC (you can see the top of the : piston when the spark plug is : removed). I finally made my own mark : on the damper when #1 piston was at : TDC, set the timing again using the : same method described above, and it : fired right up. I timed the engine : by ear, checked the timing with a : timing light, and found my new mark : at about 8 degrees before TDC. : Viola! : : What gives? Isn't the timing mark on : the damper supposed to align with : the TDC mark on the timing cover : when #1 is at TDC? I wonder if I : have the wrong damper? Is the Ford 6 : damper made in such a way that the : outer ring can slip, making the : timing mark wrong? : : Any help is appreciated. : : A confused Jim :

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