2F Engine Timing Mark

[knuckle47]

I am sorry for the dumb question. I am not near my service manual but playing the video tape in my head while sitting at a friends house getting ready for tonight and tomorrow…regarding the install of the actual Hyperspark distributor

I am looking for 0* TDC to install the Hyperspark distributor. Looking at the drawing it depicts the flywheel, the pointer and the BB

Is this 0* or 7* for cylinder #1……..i just can’t remember since i time it so infrequently

 

[devo]

where to find timing marks on 2f...help

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Pighead]

The line is TDC, the BB is 7* Before

 

[knuckle47]

Thank you….i have put off some great weather working days by not securing this information and the manual is spread out on the air cleaner whenever I am away from the garage and thinking about this process.
Gonna be a late night!

 

[middlecalf]

If #1 is at the top of its compression stroke (and not #6). Important since you're installing a dizzy and not just timing the motor with a timing light.

 

[knuckle47]

So here is where I am… picked up the yellow and the white paint pens to mark the spot …stuck a long zip tie in the spark plug hole on cylinder #1 and reached maximum peak on the tie. Are you saying it could be an exhaust stroke?

The BB is about an inch to the right of this line

 

[Green Bean]

If you still have your old distributor installed, the rotor should point a shown in the diagram below.

 

[knuckle47]

Actually i do…it’s the D.U.I version but it should still be the same…Deep breath avoided.

This brought up some old memories from back in 1975 when I changed the Toyota vacuum distributor to the Mallory Centrifugal advance unit…it was way off.. …sounded like gunshots

 

[Green Bean]

I have in my old decrepit foggy memory that the flywheel turns two rotations for every one rotation of the rotor. (I'm probably wrong on that) But I was thinking that a quick way of ensuring that you are at TDC is the line on the flywheel combined with where the rotor is pointing. Comes in handy when adjusting valves too.

 

[charliemeyer007]

Finger in spark plug hole #1, on the compression stroke it push on finger out. I always rotate the the crank in the proper direction - if you back up, you will introduce gear lash and be wrong/off when it rotates in running mode.

 

[Steamer]

If you still have your old distributor installed,

Actually i do

Alternatively, if it ran with the old dizzy then you could simply snap a photo of the rotor position (wherever it is) then match it with the new dizzy installation and not worry where the timing marks are.

 

[Steamer]

I need to correct myself. I was thinking of the times I’ve pulled my DUI for various reasons and then re-installed the “same” dizzy when the engine rotation didn’t change. “BUT” if you’re changing dizzys, you can’t depend on the dizzy gear’s position matching up with the rotor’s position exactly the same as the other dizzy so it’s position could be as much as a half tooth off.
So, in your case, disregard my previous post. Sorry!

 

[knuckle47]

Well tomorrow is another day…. It’s about 11:20pm Saturday night so all I have done is read and think about the process since about 7pm. I have also read all of you guys’ generous suggestions and will employ them tomorrow. I pulled the battery to give better access to the distributor area ( THAT was an hard lift) and a better look into the timing site hole .

Everything is wired up and ready to go once the new distributor is locked in place and setup on the handheld. My problem is working alone again. In order to get the BB in place, I had to jack up my right rear tire, place the truck in 4th gear then rotate the tire to turn the flywheel.

I had to have made 20 trips between the rear wheel and right front fender to see when the BB would show up in the “window”.

 

[Mark W]

If you are still working at getting it to tdc (compression/igntion stroke #1 Cylinder), here is a couple of things that might make it easier.

Pull the valve cover. easy peasy on an FJ40. When at tdc (compression/igntion stroke #1 Cylinder) valves #1,2 and 3 will be loose.

Put the tranny in 4th gear and push against the front bumper with your knees as you watch for the marks from in front of the rig. pretty easy to rotate the engine this way. Just make sure you have room to let the rig move backwards some. Don't forget t hat you will be rotating the engine backwards too.

This one only helps after you have the flywheel mark/pointer lined up... put a mark of some sort on the harmonic balance or crank pully that lines up with whatever arbitrary point works for you as an easy to see visual; indicator. For getting things approximately right that is often a lot easier than trying to peak at the window in the bellhousing. After you are close, you can watch for the pointer/line to fine tune it.

Mark...

 

[knuckle47]

I was thinking that the valve cover should come off but it is one pain in the butt removing the air cleaner assembly on a ‘75 as it passes across the rear half of the cover. When I walked out of the garage tonight I said to myself “ damn I really don’t want to pull the valve cover” but your loose rockers at 1,2 and 3 can’t be disputed. Great suggestion to place a paint mark..at least you know if you’ll need another rotation or two to get back to the BB line

Looks like the most positive method is pulling that cover

Thanks…

 

[igotta40]

In addition to getting the crankshaft in the correct position, it may take numerous attempts to stab the distributor shaft in where it meshes with the right tooth on the camshaft gear AND drops into the oil pump correctly.

 

[77mustard40]

In addition to getting the crankshaft in the correct position, it may take numerous attempts to stab the distributor shaft in where it meshes with the right tooth on the camshaft gear AND drops into the oil pump correctly.

You don’t have to line all that up, focus on TDC first then use a long flat blade screw driver and flashlight to rotate the oil pump so it is oriented to accept the distributor’s blade when stabbed. Make damn sure the distributor is seated all the way down into the clamp as we’ve all read about that mistake.

 

[Green Bean]

Ha. If you put 10 Land Cruiser owners in a room, you would likely have at least 15 opinions on the best way to find TDC. For me, I like using a 46mm (1-7/8") Crow’s Foot Wrench on the Crankshaft Pulley Nut for an easy way to simultaneously rotate and watch the window.

 

[OlYellr]

Well here is the 11th owner - if you have two people - finger in spark plug #1 to make sure on compress stroke and follow the timing marking and slow down when close & check with dowel for peak.

Alone - I use a wooden dowel in #1 and see when it reached max height (same as your zip tie method).

(If you are taking all that off - air cleaner and valve cover - do your valves need adjusting?? - I mean you are mostly there)

 

[knuckle47]

I WROTE ALL THIS CRAP IN CASE YOU FELT LIKE READING SOMETHING LONGER THIS MORNING…

I’m certain 15 FJ40’s would present 15 opinions..that’s funny when you sit and think about it. This is an age old situation whether Land Cruisers or recipes. Here’s my situation…. When I got the Sniper EFi installed I did question whether or not this was going to work the first try…it did. There’s even a video and my friend @Green Bean asked where the yee-haw scream was …..

I was so thrilled that it worked so well, I couldn’t close my mouth to yell… got it all neatly tied up and packed to get her buttoned up when I get the next hare-brained idea..What does it take to get the timing correctly displayed on the Sniper hand-held? After reading so much of the information about timing POTENTIAL and watching a few @wngrog videos, I decided to push it. At around 11* this truck livened up…this really felt much better, sounded much better and all of the things you’d like to see in any vehicle.

When you read and watch video on the Hyperspark system, it is equally exciting. That’s why I decided to go for it. Thing here is, it’s not the mechanics…it’s the timing process. One of my weaknesses despite understanding the concept. Is there a 1 in 180* chance I am correct with my install?

So now armed with the better way to install the distributor, the only way to minimize the possible problems is to take the 100% method and not short cut anything I may not be sure of. May take an extra day or so ( I poop out easily an my ADHD distracts me ) it will be better in the long run and I am in it for the long haul.

This is a tip from a 4WD book I read back in 1974 on getting un-stuck. I knew very little and only believed here in northern Vermont, land of ice and snow in the winter, I should be able to head over the mountain road and not get stuck. The book had described the differences and efficiency of the 80% effort and the 100% effort. You can sumise that putting in the 100% effort yields the better result… that has stuck with me now for 50 years.
The first time I ever applied that book was in this photo on the beach of this guy who had a VERY stuck Ford Bronco. Used a few things here in the book, didn’t short cut things like just snatching him out and burying my truck…. I’ve posted this picture before but here is the real events behind the pic.

Thanks to all of you again for these informative suggestions. I am having a lot of fun here on IH8MUD thanks to all of you. Feels like a fun family.