Timing Pointer, Balancer 351 Swap ?s

[smokinjoe]

I'm having some timing issues I think. A while back I was running down some overheating issues, figured that out (and you wouldn't believe what I did!!!!) and then the rig started running terrible, brought it home and thought my fuel pump was dying as the truck acted like it was running outta gas and then eventually did, long story short ran the aux tank dry like a jacka**, thought I was running off the main. Replaced the fuel filter, rebuilt the Edlebrock 4 barrel, messed up and ran it w/ the choke closed, fouled the plugs DOH! Put some new plugs in.

Removed the #1 plug, placed my thumb over the hole and bumped it until my finger blew off, check the timing marks and I was right around the timing pointer, pulled the HEI cap and was pointing at #1, sounds good right? Switched over the main tank w/ fresh gas and I can now not get this guy started until I advance the ever loving s*** outta it (for instance my hei wires are pointed at my steering box and I have to advance all the way to the thermostat housing), but it's still not running right at that point, will only stay running w/ gas pedal pressed and it's running slow like not enough advance. I will say that when I was tracing down my overheating problem I checked my timing and I wasn't even on the marks using the 2 o'clock pointer.

My EB is a 76, but at some point a PO dropped in a 351W (a selling point to me when I bought it). According to the castings it came from a full size 72 Ford car (D2AE-60 ......) At the parts store I have them pull parts from a 72 351W Galaxy 500.

Here's what I'm thinking, the PO who did the swap used all 76 302 front dress, would the 72 351 be a 10 o'clock pointer v. the current 2 o'clock I have?

If I bring it to TDC at the 2 o'clock pointer at restab the dizzy and then point it at #1 it shouldn't matter right?

Thoughts?

I believe they used the 76 302 front end accessories when they did the swap (after initially buying the wrong waterpump) and maybe stabbed it using the 10 o'clock pointer then bolted up the 2 o'clock pointer, make sense?

 

[SHX669]

Forget about the timing marks on the balancer. Find TDC again , wherever pointer is pointing , mark that with something. In theory that is 0* or TDC or close. Then you can make ypur own marks on the balancer. They make a " tape " you can stick on or just figure out where 10* +- is - there are sveral ways. Use that 10* mark to set your timing.

 

[SteveL]

I went with timing tape and a driver side pointer from wh

 

[70_Steve]

Same problem with my 351. 302 timing cover has the pointer on the drivers side, but the 351 balancer is marked for the pointer on the passenger side.

I bought a TDC tool and some timing tape from Summit. Found TDC, stuck on the timing tape, then took a cutoff disk on my Dremel and made a mark every 10° from 0° to 40°, because I just didn't trust the timing tape to stay on!

 

[DirtDonk]

What they said smokinjoe. I know you said that you found TDC (the finger way though) and it was close to the mark, but it should not have been that close. Definitely likely to be a ton off from the marker.
Timing tape is your best friend.

Another guy was trying to track down an overheating problem and he finally advanced the timing 40 degrees beyond where he's been. It's running better than ever, no heating issue now, but he really does not know if he's close yet, or just getting to around zero. It's not pinging or doing anything else, but he has no reliable marks because what he thought was the correct marking (new damper and pointer) were way off.

So do the finger test again, but then more closely verify the piston location. If possible, use a piston stop tool and a more precise degree indicator to find exact TDC. If you don't want to go to that trouble, at least stick something in there (like a screwdriver or dowel, and find out when the piston stops.
Well worth double checking your previous results to at least confirm or deny your findings.

Bottom line of course, is to at least get it to where it runs best until you can verify the actual numbers.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Oh, and maybe I missed it in your first post, but what did you do to cure the overheating?
Was it the timing, or was it something else?

Paul

 

[jckkys]

The problem isn't the swap to a 351, but that you used '72 351 parts. If you got '69 351w water pump and dampener or simply used EB 302 parts IE water pump and dampener, on a 351w, everything would work together. Ford changed the water pump intake to the passenger side in '70 351Ws. The '69 Mustang 351w front dress is the same as EB 302s except for adapters needed for the alternator and power steering pump pivot bolts.