How do I find TDC

[lordsniff]

OK , I've got the engine back together . The heads are on , the pushrods are in . I check Bentleys and it says "find TDC by aligning the rotor mark with the one on the body" . That I assume refers to the dizzy . Yes ? Then it says rotate the engine 180 degrees . Which way ? What are your thoughts on the " straw down the spark plug hole , rotate until it stops coming out " ploy ?
What is the 180 degrees referring to ? If I have a wrench on the pulley shaft and rotate that 180 is that it ? Will that then be TDC #2 chamber ? It's all as obvious as " My husband is coming" said Mrs Brown , stirring the coffee with her other hand .
Then do I tighten to touch and 2 more turns( Bentleys) or is 1/2 turn enough ?
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I was born at a very early age and it was such a shock I didn't speak for another 2 years .


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87 Syncro
85 Gl
96 Dodge Ram V10
2001 Honda

[weinerwagen]

If # 1 cylinder it at TDC, then the distrubutor should be pointing towards #1 on the cap...if you have your lower pully on you might have a notch that is factory that should be pointing to the split in the case...

Make sure you don't get your distrib 180 deg off....

To find tdc, you might try a clothes hanger or some wire long enough but strong enough NOT to break off inside the cylinder. Rotate your motor and watch the wire come up to its top most spot before the piston starts going back down. Is the pully on? Check your notch, is the dist installed? Check to see if it is point to #1 on the cap...

[Buckly]

Is your dizzy in? if not what about the dizzy drive gear? Normally, if you had the engine apart, when you put it back together is the best time to make sure your timing gear is in time with the cam gear and the dizzy drive gear. I pull the #1 piston out to TDC, make sure my dots are lined up and then slide the drive gear in. I then slide the dizzy in to make sure its pointing to #1 firing position. I have missed it up before and had to pull the drive gear to reposition it.

What are you trying to do, get it timed right? If you turn the engine 180 from #1 TDC you have #3 TDC.
_________________
Cool runnins,
_______________________
Bucky

[lordsniff]

hi , thanks . I have the dizzy in and I am trying to get the rocker arm and push rods to the proper gaps . Bentley says to line the notches up and I assumed that it meant the dizzy . There is a mark on the casing on the dizzy and again I assumed that if I lined the rotor with that mark I would have TDC No 1 . From there I am lost . Do I regap both valves at TDC ? should the distributor turn clockwise or the other way? As you say Buckley , if I turn it 180 degrees I should have No3 , if I turn another 180 will I have No2?
Thanks for all the help.
_________________
I was born at a very early age and it was such a shock I didn't speak for another 2 years .


______________________________________
87 Syncro
85 Gl
96 Dodge Ram V10
2001 Honda

[Buckly]

WE're talking about a circle, so 360 is what we've got to work with. I'm pretty sure when #1 is TDC the rotor on the dizzy will point towards the front passanger side and of course the line on the lip where the cap seats(if the distributor drive shaft is in right). Adjust the valves for #1(front passanger).
Now turn the engine so the rotors pointing towards the front passanger side, 90 degrees or 1/4 of a full circle, you can take the shortest route to get there just turn the engine so the dizzy moves the way you want, either way is fine, The shortest route will set up up for the #3 valves when your finished adjusting #2. So turn it another 90 and thats #3, the front drivers side of the engine and another 90 puts it at #4.
The firing order is 1-4-3-2, so we're turning the engine backwards doing it this way, no biggy.

you can feel it compressing air as you turn and then getting easier to move a TDC and at the end of the strock.

Please, someone jump in if I got any of this wrong or if there's more to add.
_________________
Cool runnins,
_______________________
Bucky