Making your own timing mark

[renaissance man]

Question: If I can't see the "finger" on my 289 timing cover to set the timing mark. The water pump hose covers the marks on the dampner and I have to jack the front of the car up and shoot the timing from under the car and "estimate" when it's 10 degrees BTC because I can't see it from above.

OK, that wasn't the question but this is:

Can I mark on the exact opposite side of the dampner and align this to some bolt of whatever on the engine to shoot from the top to set the timing?

HEY DAVE,

YES.

AS LONG AS YOU OBTAIN A "KNOWN ALIGNMENT" SUCH AS "0" DEGREES ON THE EXISTING INDECIES, YOU CAN CREATE/DUPLICATE THE NEW MARKER LOCATION ANYWHERE ELSE. SOME AUTO STORES HAVE A SELF ADHESIVE "DEGREE STRIPS" THAT WILL MAKE THE JOB A LOT EASIER. I'M NOT SURE HOW WELL (OR HOW LONG) THE DEGREE STRIPS WILL HOLD SO I WOULD MARK THE "ZERO" POSITION WITH A CENTER PUNCH OR ENGRAVING TOOL TO MAKE TO EASIER IF YOU HAVE TO REPLACE IT AT SOME POINT.

Y'ALL HAVE A REALLY GREAT DAY,

BLACKJACK

[renaissance man]

Thanks Blackjack,

I have the original marks on the dampner. But I guess I just paste the tape on anyplace (mayb do a test run with a yellow or white crayon for TC=0) on the dampner. Then adjust from there?

[avalanche325]

The timing tape works very well. I used it on a 302 for about eight years and it was still there when I sold the car. I had a similar visibility problem. The hardest part is to make yourself a good stable pointer.

[Double Venom]

Dave,
Blackjacks idea is excellent and Avalanche (By the way Avalanche Welcome! I see it was your first post.) is right on about longevity.

Dave this is so simple it's almost obscene. Remember the days of "Duct Tape and Coathangers"? Well, cut up a coat hanger, make a loop on one end to go around a 3/8's, 5/16's bolt or what ever. Leave it about 4 or 5 inches long. Now find a convienant bolt or tapped hole that you can easily see for timing purposes. Bolt the loop you made to the block, bend the wire to cross over the balancer, and you now have a pointer!

Set your balancer up to TDC on the factory mark or check the piston. Now use the tape and set the -0- on the tape at your new pointer. Wrap it around the balancer. Problem solved!

Jegs, Summit, almost any car parts store sells the tape.

DV

A trick almost as old as BlackJack!

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Dave;

I used a combo of all of the above I think. Took an old timing pointer,modified it to a "new" bolt hole,painted my balancer,then after finding TDC,using the new timing tape,I took one of those white-out pens and marked 0 and made lines every two degress to 14 degrees and every six after that. Painted the balancer blue to cover old numbers and contrast with the white. Works great,been there for 6 or 7 years now.......

David

HEY DV,

I RESEMBLE THAT REMARK!!

BUT, HEY, IT'S STILL 35 YEARS OLD ON THE INSIDE.

REMEMBER -

YOU DON'T QUIT PLAYING BECAUSE YOU GET OLD,

YOU GET OLD BECAUSE YOU QUIT PLAYING.

Y'ALL HAVE A REALLY GREAT DAY,

BLACKJACK

[Double Venom]

Amen Blackjack, AMEN!

[Don]

The Summit Timing tape is available @5.95 , page 63 Jan/Feb catalog. Part number is available from the order taker when referencing the engine.make/ci

800.230.3030

www.SummitRacing.com

[pbrown]

Ford makes a bolt on timing pointer (part # F1TZ-6023-A) that places the pointer at 11 o'clock on the passenger side. Then, use timing tape to relocate the index to the other side.

[Cobra20646]

Like Pat said, get the new Ford pointer and bolt it to the passenger side of the car. That's all you'll need.... no tape or relocating the timing marks.
What you will then do is use cylinder 2 for firing the strobe light.
Simple. If your firing order is different than 15426378, you'll need to find the right cylinder.
- Jim -