Timing question

[Peno67]

Got another thread going on some troubleshooting although I wanted to specifically question timing. Manual states 13 degrees bc. So got on number 1 cylinder (back RH side of car) and set to the upper mark on the indicator which is 13 degrees I believe. I read some where that the two marks on the indicator are dependant on whether one is on number 1 or 6 cylinder and the lower indicator mark is for the number 1 cylinder. If this is true I don't think the car will run if I set on the lower mark for the number 1 cylinder. Can someone confirm which mark to use? I didn't see timing discussed in the manual although I may have missed it.

[DMC5180]

The notches in the pulley represent Cyl 1 TC or Cyl 6 TC. The timing cover plate has 2 notches. The left notch is 13 btdc. The right notch is zero or TC for which ever pulley mark is lined up with it. However, you must be sure you’re on compression stroke and not exhaust.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FABombjoy]

From the Volvo B28 manual. Different pulley, but marks will be in the same positions 150 degrees apart.

58205

[Peno67]

Thanks for clarification. Using a timing light I suspect there is no way the wrong mark would come into play as there is no way it would operate.

[FABombjoy]

You might be surprised :) If you reverse the wires at the VR pickup on the distributor, you can get some really strange running. The pole piece in the distributor pickup has an asymmetry to it which appears to make it compatible with both 120-degree even fire and 150-90 odd fire ignition. Depending on how it's wired to the ignition amplifier you'd select either one or the other. When I first hooked my MSD to the distributor pickup I flipped the connection and half the engine was timed wrong.

[David T]

You can always verify TDC of #1 cylinder by "bumping" the starter to get it to TDC on the compression stroke and the mark on the pulley should line up with the 0 degree mark on the timing scale.