The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 216 Static timing.

Hey all,

Can someone point me to the how-to for static timing the 216 engine? I got a remanufactured distributor, new vacuum advance, carb, plugs and wires. I keep searching and there is so much to go though related to someone's timing issues but I havent found a good how to yet.

Thanks for the help.

Here's the procedure from the service manual (paraphrased)
1. Turn the engine till #1 intake valve closes and continue turnig about 1/3 turn till the #1 piston is at top of the cylinder.
(the manual says this "This can be determined by watching at the timing indicator opening on clutch housing above starter until U/C marking on flywheel lines up with pointer.")
2. Install the distributor into the block with the distributor cap spring clips parallel with the engine block, turn rotor slightly clockwise from 90 deg to engine block and push distributor down into position. It may be necessary to remove the distributor and use a long screwdriver to turn the oil pump shaft to align the slot with the tang on the distributor shaft.
3. Turn distributor body slightly until points are just slightly open and tighten distributor clamp screw.
4. Install cap and check that rotor is pointing to #1 cylinder.
That should get it close enough to start.

That is pretty close to how I do it. Trace the no. 1 distributor wire to the cap and put a vertical chalk mark on the body of the distributor directly under the No. 1 plug wire tower on the cap. Remove all the plugs and cover No. 1 plug hole with your thumb or finger, and rotate the motor around until you feel compression coming up. You are now on the compression stroke for No. 1. Now, using the bell housing indicator and the marks on the flywheel, line up for TDC. Put your plugs and wires back on, pull the cap and look at the rotor. It should be pointing at your chalk mark. If its not, loosen the distributor (use the screw on the clamp and not the bolt on the octane selector plate) and move it until the rotor is pointing to the chalk mark and tighten it down. You are pretty close to, if not actually on, TDC and should be able to fire the motor right up and fine tune with a timing light.

Dragsix… Nicely explained.

You are too kind!

What is the U/C marking? I found a BB type indicator.

i might have to try again, I am off parallel more like 10 and 5 and my rotor is past 90 degrees just slightly. so I think i messed that up.

Depends on the flywheel. You have to look really really close and see if there are some other stampngs on the flywheel. For example a 5 and a degree symbol. What that means is that uc is tdc and the bb is 5 degrees advanced. Others say 2 degrees not sure if any others. Look at page 2 of the thread entitled “timing” scroll down a bit and you will see a photo of what I am talking about.

This is what the timing marks look like on my 216 - It's in a 1937 truck.

So the line between the U and C is TDC? and the BB is 5 degrees BTDC?

I could do the math, but what is the V mark used for?

Jim

Correct. No idea on the V mark

Valve adjustment

Time with the ball right on the pointer. The 5 next to ball indicates the ball (da BB) (O) is at 5 deg BTDC. Which is spec timing.
The UIC is actually "Upper Center" with a hash mark in between U and C. The hash mark is dead nuts TDC.

The triangle/V is a factory test spec mark.

What "math" are you talking about? There is no math involved.

Silverado: Did you get it timed? (Your Hijackers will be persecuted.)

The math would have been figuring out how far before TDC the V is in case it was used for some timing, such as vacuum advance timing or centrifugal advance. I won't bother now I know it's not ignition related.

Jim

Sorry, it was just a question. Not meant to disrespect. I see what you were thinking makes sense.

The math part is finding 5 degrees btdc on the flywheel. So 360 degrees divided by 139 teeth (6 volt flywheel) = 2.6 degrees per flywheel tooth

The ball/the BB/the round thing dimple symbol, is at 5° BTDC. The flywheel is marked by the factory with a BB ball at the specified optimal timing spot and the retard/advance number is stamped. If it says 5, then the ball is at 5°. Put the pointer on the ball. There is no math involved. The flywheel is also marked by the factory to show TDC if you need that. That's that line next to, or between, the UC, I call a hash mark, which is what it's called on calipers. No math involved. UC or UDC is what we now call TDC. The Triangle or V is used by the factory, not us, when they synchronize the motor. I hope we know that the teeth having nothing to do with timing. There is no measuring or math involved.
The procedure in the manual, that Kevin posted, has no math.