I'm not sure, but if the engine has been replaced with a certain stationary power unit engine, there may be a timing pointer at the front of the engine, and a mark on the front pulley, or you just may not be seeing the flywheel marks. However, even without visible timing marks, initial timing is easy to set. If you're hand cranking it, you do not want spark before TDC. Certainly, not more than a few degrees before TDC, in any case. Keep the ignition switch "OFF". Remove the #1 spark plug. Crank it over until you can feel compression beginning to build, as you hold you finger OVER the spark plug hole. This indicates it is coming up on TDC of the firing stroke. Disconnect the primary distributor lead from the coil and hook a battery powered test light or an ohmmeter to the primary terminal on the distributor and ground. Either one will show continuity, because the breaker points are closed. Use a plastic straw or similar probe stuck down the sparkplug hole, which will rise as the piston comes up to TDC. The test light should go out (or the ohmmeter will read "infinity') just as the piston reaches TDC, if the points are opening at the correct time. Now that you've got the engine at TDC, take another look for the timing marks, now that you know where the should be. Make your own TDC mark, if necessary, for next time. If the points are opening before that, correct the position of the distributor, and try again until you have the points opening reliably at the TDC point. I'm not sure what the spec. is, perhaps 4 degrees BTDC, but if you're going to hand-crank it, TDC is safer. Disconnect your test light or ohmmeter, reconnect the primary lead to the coil, and you should be all set.
|