i swear my flywheel doesnt have a ball bearing

[Bimjam02]

so im a novice when it comes to timing a car, i just installed the IE tii dizzy and they recommend using a digital timing light and i just have a regular basic light. now to time the car i figured id get it close using the flywheel and after aligning everything up several times i have yet to see this mysterious ball. soo i got the car running and runs like poop for obvious reasons and i got it running a little smoother just by adjusting by ear, now i havent driven it yet for fear of screwing something up but is there a way to time this beast with just a basic light to 35* advance? i cant remember the RPM but its on the instructions. the crank has a bunch of random markings on it and after reading through my haynes a dozen times im still confused which ones which because the PO marked it up in random spots with paint. ive read up on the pinging method but i heard thats not always the best. anyone with the digital timing light in oregon wanna head out to the coast for a day? im off next tuesday and wednesday!

[nbristow01]

idle it up to 1500 rpm. if you stand on the driver side with the light aimed in the hole you will see it. As you turn th edist you will see something kind of fill the hole, then it goes away if you keep turning. That thing is the ball. Turn until it fills that whole, you will see what I mean. I never saw that dang ball for almost a year until I stood on the driver side and there it was

[tjones02]

Turn the motor over by hand till you see the ball in the timing hole. Take a long bamboo skewer with a dab of yellow paint on it to mark the ball. I also mark the OT or TDC line this way. This way the timing marks are highly visible while running.

An earlier thread on this subject.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,343661/highlight,markal/

TO borrow a picture from Bill Williams, here's his well marked flywheel...

Cheers and HTH,

[eurotrash]

MukbuhFukbuh. -- Stand on the drivers side... How come this is the first I have EVER heard this?!?? UGH! Explains SO much!

[nbristow01]

MukbuhFukbuh. -- Stand on the drivers side... How come this is the first I have EVER heard this?!?? UGH! Explains SO much!

Thats what I felt like saying. Maybe it is just my car but I can not see it EVER on the passanger side but see it plain as day when I time from the driver side

[ahlem]

Don't forget to stand only on your left foot. If you raise your right foot to 90 degrees and sing the '02 timing song it makes it really easy. Practice your Rose Bowl Parade wave to use on the neighbors when they notice you timing the car. They will all wish they were so fortunate to be like you. If they don't appreciate your efforts, aim the timing light at their dog like it's radioactive.

[nbristow01]

Don't forget to stand only on your left foot. If you raise your right foot to 90 degrees and sing the '02 timing song it makes it really easy. Practice your Rose Bowl Parade wave to use on the neighbors when they notice you timing the car. They will all wish they were so fortunate to be like you. If they don't appreciate your efforts, aim the timing light at their dog like it's radioactive.

You forgot the most important part...the cloths hanger antennas you wear while you do this

[eurotrash]

..and pants on the ground..

[Meintii]

Getting back to the subject...

One way you can find it is to take the spark plugs out and put the car in second gear, then standing on the drivers side, bump the car foward SLOWLY several times until you see it roll past. You can push the car backward if you pass it. Once you start bumping youll see how insanely fast the flywheel spins.

Hope this helps!

[Bimjam02]

thanks all for the help, ill have to take a stab at it when i get off