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Mon Jul 28, 2025 1:29 pm

I can’t believe I’m going to ask such a simple question. I just don’t remember…

I have a 64 bug with a 1200 in it. I put in new plugs and wires and checked the valves today - all good stuff. I want to check the timing because I have a little hesitation at the top of 2nd gear.

I feel like I’ve always timed the engine to the dimple at the split in the case - but the manual says 10* btdc. I have a white mark on the dimple on the pulley. Am I somehow forgetting? Does it get timed with that white mark woo before the split in the case?

Mon Jul 28, 2025 1:55 pm

Don't worry about timing at idle. Set total advance to 28-30 @ 3500 rpms.
If you have a digital timing light where you can dial in the advance, set it to 28*
Now read your timing mark on pulley. It should be at case split. If not, adjust your distributor. You can cheat up to 30*.

Mon Jul 28, 2025 2:06 pm

type241 wrote: Don't worry about timing at idle. Set total advance to 28-30 @ 3500 rpms.
If you have a digital timing light where you can dial in the advance, set it to 28*
Now read your timing mark on pulley. It should be at case split. If not, adjust your distributor. You can cheat up to 30*.
This would apply to an SVDA or DVDA distributor.

The SVA that the OP has on his car needs vacuum to advance the ignition timing.

Mon Jul 28, 2025 2:27 pm

Before I make any timing suggestion.... could you answer a few questions...
Is your engine completely stock?

What is the model# stamped into the side of the distributor body (or on the badge)?

What is the make/model# of your carb?

When you say "dimple" on the crank pulley do you mean "notch" on the front side lip or "dimple" on the rear side lip? Notches are timing marks and represent where the ignition should be timed at idle for the distributor that the pulley came with from the factory. Different distributors had different timing notches. The 10BTDC recommendation for your model year would apply if you are running the OE distributor that came with the car.
"Dimples" are TDC marks but not all pullies had TDC markings. Here is a pic showing the notches (top) and dimples (bottom) for two pullies:

From the above pics showing the timing marks on the pullies, the top pulley has a TDC "dimple" and a 7.5BTDC timing notch. This shows that when you line up the BTDC timing notch with the case split, the TDC "dimple" will be CCW (left) from the case split. When you line up the 10BTDC timing notch on your pulley with the case split, it too will place the TDC "dimple" CCW from the case split.

Are you timing the ignition using a 12v test lamp (static timing) or a inductive strobe timing light? If you have an inductive lamp, does it have an adjustment for varying the advance (dial or buttons)?

If you have pics to answer the above please post pics.

Mon Jul 28, 2025 2:40 pm

It's always a good question to ask since timing varies across distributors. Do you have the stock distributor in your vehicle?

Mon Jul 28, 2025 4:23 pm

You guys are asking for info I should have included. I’m sorry.

Car is bone stock 1200. Has a 28 pict 1 with the “big cap” distributor.

Im including photos of the marks for clarity. Im going off of the ones closest to the engine block.

I check this stuff once a year, but in the time that passes it seems to leave my memory. I feel like I’ve always set the timing such that the mark flashes right as it is at the center of the case. Maybe my mind is failing me. Im too young for this crap!

Mon Jul 28, 2025 4:39 pm

Nice distributor :roll:

Mike, you time it 10° BTDC @ idle.

Mon Jul 28, 2025 5:17 pm

obnoxiousblue wrote: You guys are asking for info I should have included. I’m sorry.

Car is bone stock 1200. Has a 28 pict 1 with the “big cap” distributor.

Im including photos of the marks for clarity. Im going off of the ones closest to the engine block.

I check this stuff once a year, but in the time that passes it seems to leave my memory. I feel like I’ve always set the timing such that the mark flashes right as it is at the center of the case. Maybe my mind is failing me. Im too young for this crap!

That white mark is not stock so most likely you made it to remind you where TDC is. I know a lot of people who do that.

If you have one of those fancy timing lights where you can advance the light just set it to 10 degrees and line up that white mark with the case.

Mon Jul 28, 2025 5:27 pm

There should be a V notch on the pulley on the side closest to the case. That’s the 10° BTDC mark. Static time it to that mark.

Mon Jul 28, 2025 5:37 pm

That's a good point. Maybe he marked the 10 degree mark.

Set your engine to TDC using the valves. Then you can see what marks you have on your pulley and where they are oriented to TDC.

Mon Jul 28, 2025 5:41 pm

heimlich wrote: That's a good point. Maybe he marked the 10 degree mark.

Set your engine to TDC using the valves. Then you can see what marks you have on your pulley and where they are oriented to TDC.
I don't think you can determine the exact point the engine is at TDC by using observing the rocker arms and movement of the valves. You're gonna be multiple degrees off.

Mon Jul 28, 2025 6:39 pm

A good way to mark TDC on the pulley is to remove it and print a degree timing wheel from the internet. There are some here on the forum. I think I found mine on Bob Hoover’s website.

At TDC, the key slot will be at 270* clockwise (basically pointing straight “west”, or left, looking at the pulley from behind). I marked my pulley at TDC and BDC using the paper wheel. That way you KNOW what the notches and dimples on your pulley mean. It seems like the pulleys have been swapped around over the decades, so no way to know what your notches mean until you do the degree wheel thing. It’s a little more certain than finding TDC using the piston position.

Mon Jul 28, 2025 6:44 pm

aquifer wrote: A good way to mark TDC on the pulley is to remove it and print a degree timing wheel from the internet. There are some here on the forum. I think I found mine on Bob Hoover’s website.

At TDC, the key slot will be at 270* clockwise (basically pointing straight “west”, or left, looking at the pulley from behind). I marked my pulley at TDC and BDC using the paper wheel. That way you KNOW what the notches and dimples on your pulley mean. It seems like the pulleys have been swapped around over the decades, so no way to know what your notches mean until you do the degree wheel thing. It’s a little more certain than finding TDC using the piston position.
Told him that over the phone

Mon Jul 28, 2025 7:22 pm

Glenn wrote: aquifer wrote: A good way to mark TDC on the pulley is to remove it and print a degree timing wheel from the internet. There are some here on the forum. I think I found mine on Bob Hoover’s website.

At TDC, the key slot will be at 270* clockwise (basically pointing straight “west”, or left, looking at the pulley from behind). I marked my pulley at TDC and BDC using the paper wheel. That way you KNOW what the notches and dimples on your pulley mean. It seems like the pulleys have been swapped around over the decades, so no way to know what your notches mean until you do the degree wheel thing. It’s a little more certain than finding TDC using the piston position.
Told him that over the phone

I’ll print it out tomorrow, will check it then probably recheck the valves just to be confident. Thanks all, this shed some light on my plug fouling too.

Mon Jul 28, 2025 7:28 pm

obnoxiousblue wrote: I want to check the timing because I have a little hesitation at the top of 2nd gear.

Pop the cap off your distributor. Make sure you can actuate the plate inside that moves based off of vacuum. They tend to get sticking with time.

On that plate there is a small hole. You'll want to saturate that hole with oil. There is felt under the hole. The felt in there that will absorb the oil and lubricate that plate.

Tue Jul 29, 2025 1:05 am

heimlich wrote: obnoxiousblue wrote: I want to check the timing because I have a little hesitation at the top of 2nd gear.

Pop the cap off your distributor. Make sure you can actuate the plate inside that moves based off of vacuum. They tend to get sticking with time.

On that plate there is a small hole. You'll want to saturate that hole with oil. There is felt under the hole. The felt in there that will absorb the oil and lubricate that plate.
I guess, the pulley is replaced. Normally the original ones had 2 V-marks just beside, the left one for 7,5°, the right one 10° BTDC. There are later stock pulleys with only one 7,5° BTDC V-mark but also for 1971 with 5° ATDC V-mark.
The dizzy with 80 mm diameter needs 10° BTDC static and one drop of oil to the center of ground plate can help. No vacuum leaks.

Tue Jul 29, 2025 9:20 am

Valves
Points/dwell
THEN timing
Carburetor after FULLY warming up
Always in this order.

FYI - to get the correct dwell my gap is always just over 0.017. This is after filing used mating surfaces flat or new (never in car) but I run a cheap, sloppy aftermarket distributor - ends up at 48 to 50 everytime. Unless you verify with meter you're guessing.

Fouling plugs can be a lot of things :
*Weak ignition (coil, condenser, wires, voltage, connections-include grounds, & etc.)
*Rich carburetor setting
*Leaking piston rings
*Low compression
*Other stuffs

Go thru everything being detail oriented - at least to rule stuff out.

Trying to help... stay safe

jinx

Wed Jul 30, 2025 6:42 am

The white mark in the “indent” on the front side lip (towards the front of the car) would appear to be the timing mark. Though I agree that doesn’t look like the stock crank pulleys I’ve seen before that have v-shaped timing notches or at least much narrower notches than the indent in your pic.

Is the rear side lip white mark about 180deg from the other? If so, I’d guess the rear lip paint marking is there for setting valve lash on cylinders 2&4; set when cylinder 1 is near BDC. Meaning, it is not an ignition timing mark.

You really have no choice but to confirm where #1 TDC actually is on your pulley. The paper degree wheel is the cheapest way.
But you could also use a TDC Tool that is screwed into the #1 spark plug hole until it makes contact with the top of the piston. This method produces a “true” TDC mark based on piston position and corrects for differences in case casting, pulley and crank variations. Usually, you don’t need this level of accuracy.

Wed Jul 30, 2025 7:21 am

ashman40 wrote: The white mark in the “indent” on the front side lip (towards the front of the car) would appear to be the timing mark. Though I agree that doesn’t look like the stock crank pulleys I’ve seen before that have v-shaped timing notches or at least much narrower notches than the indent in your pic.

Is the rear side lip white mark about 180deg from the other? If so, I’d guess the rear lip paint marking is there for setting valve lash on cylinders 2&4; set when cylinder 1 is near BDC. Meaning, it is not an ignition timing mark.

You really have no choice but to confirm where #1 TDC actually is on your pulley. The paper degree wheel is the cheapest way.
But you could also use a TDC Tool that is screwed into the #1 spark plug hole until it makes contact with the top of the piston. This method produces a “true” TDC mark based on piston position and corrects for differences in case casting, pulley and crank variations. Usually, you don’t need this level of accuracy.
As mentioned by "Joey" before, "there should be a V notch on the pulley on the side closest to the case." (timing marking)

YES! The rounded "notch" in the rear end half of pulley seems to be the not that exact TDC marking. Imo, the more rounded looking "notch" closest to case is made by PO, rather individual and therefore not trust worthy, at least for the moment. Suggest to find mechanically out the exact TDC-position and compare.

If this procedure makes problems, suggest to take a "new" pulley with original 10° degree, "V-notched" timing marking.