Tdc

[C4]

How do i find tDC with out pulling out the distributor?

 

[hillbilly delux]

Cheap and dirty. Pull the plug and have a friend put long screw driver in rotate engine until you feel the piston reach the top of stroke.

JiM

 

[Broncobowsher]

If you have the timing marks, line up the "0" line with the timing pointer on the balancer. But since that can be a problem with swapped engines that may not have all the right parts put together (wrong balancer for timing cover, pointer deleted to fit lower rad hose, whatever).

Without actually pulling the engine partially apart, true TDC is almost impossible to find. But you can get close. Pull the spark plugs, spin the engine over. With a finger over #1, you will feel air pushing your finger off the hole. You are coming up on TDC compression stroke. Go too far and you will feel your finger start getting sucked into the plug hole. That is ATDC on the power stroke. Between those it TDC.

Plan B, remove the bolt holding the balancer to the engine. Don't remove the balancer. Look for the keyway. Keyway straight up is TDC. Just don't know if for compression or exhaust without looking at valves or the finger trick.

Plan C, unclip the cap off the rotor, line up the pointer with the #1 marked on the cap. Fine tune with lining up the reluctor ring, edge of the hall effect wheel or when the points open. But this is the least reliable way as you also take in timing chain stretch, distributor setting, alignment of timing devise, and any other issues thaqt may creep up. But depending on what you are trying to do depends on how much wiggle room you can live with.

 

[Pa PITT]

C4 that 2nd answer while it may be correct it could also get you in trouble ...
If you spun it with the starter it could stick that screwdriver in your eye or up your as........now if you turn the motor by hand after you pulled the coil wire and slowly find when the piston is at top dead center you either up on stroke one or three...I dont try to hard at this point if it trys to start it one stroke one if it back fires then it on 3 ...roll it over one more time and crank it up ......

 

[76 bronco J]

Cheap and dirty. Pull the plug and have a friend put long screw driver in rotate engine until you feel the piston reach the top of stroke.

JiM

,,,,remember this is a 4-stroke engine .....just cause' the piston is at the top of the cylinder doesn't mean it's at the end of the compression stroke

 

[NoJoe]

What BRONCOBOWSHER said, Joe.

 

[C4]

thanks for all the help!