electrical and ignition How To Use Dial Back Strobe To Find Static Timing?

[SallyBernard]

1976 de-smogged California car, stock except for tii type exhaust manifold.

0 231 176 059 dizzy which I have every reason to believe is original, as the

car has only 40K or so miles.

 

I unhooked the vacuum line from the distributor and plugged the line. I set

the timing to see the steel ball timing mark on the flywheel at 2800 RPM

as specified for the dizzy, California, etc. (Not 1400 rpm)

 

I would like to use my dial back (or dial ahead) timing light to determine what

my static timing is. Would I do this:

 

1. Make sure there is no mechanical advance at idle, or lower the idle rpm

until I see no movement of the TDC mark I have on my front pulley.

 

2. Find the steel ball at about 2800 rpm on the flywheel. Dial back (or forward,

depending on how it works out) say 10 degrees, note the lower rpm, for

example, say it is 2000 rpm. Keep dialing back and lowering the rpm until

I find the point where lowering the rpm won't "find" the steel ball. Again,

let's say that happens at 800 rpm.

 

3. I then note the degree readout on the timing light, subtract that from 25

degress BTDC (where the steel ball is located) and I should have my static

timing, yes?

 

4. Am I doing this in the most complicated manner possible, or is there an

easier way? MANY THANKS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TobyB]

Static timing?

 

Hook a light up to the coil.  Roll the engine forward with a wrench on the front pulley until

the light goes out.  There's your static timing.

 

Thing is, the centrifugal advance is probably already doing something by the time you reach idle.

Might just be taking up slack in the linkage, but it's doing something.

Thus, the excitement about crank- fire back in the '80's. 

 

To use a dial- back style light, you have to find and mark TDC on the flywheel-

which can be anything from trivial to almost impossible, depending on what's marked on it to start.

The dial- back can only DELAY the timing pulse, so it can't look forward to find the ball, which is

BEFORE TDC...

 

Confusing? 

 

t

[SallyBernard]

Yep, I've done that before - that certainly is the exact point, pun intended,

where my static timing falls. I can get a rough idea of degrees by looking

at my front pulley, where I marked TDC and 25 degrees, but not an exact

number. No real reason for my detective work here, just curious ;>)

Thanks!

 

 

 

Static timing?

 

Hook a light up to the coil.  Roll the engine forward with a wrench on the front pulley until

the light goes out.  There's your static timing.

 

Thing is, the centrifugal advance is probably already doing something by the time you reach idle.

Might just be taking up slack in the linkage, but it's doing something.

Thus, the excitement about crank- fire back in the '80's. 

 

To use a dial- back style light, you have to find and mark TDC on the flywheel-

which can be anything from trivial to almost impossible, depending on what's marked on it to start.

The dial- back can only DELAY the timing pulse, so it can't look forward to find the ball, which is

BEFORE TDC...

 

Confusing? 

 

t

[Harv]

Isn't there a tdc mark on the front pulley?

John