The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop ignition timing

hello, with the "search" function I looked for information to find the location of the "ignition timing" marks on a 235 engine from 1954 because I would like to check using a stomboscopic lamp? do you have an idea ?

@+ Pascal

Personally, I prefer using the stromboli scope but that usually works better on Fiats.

Anyway, disconnect your vacuum advance, connect your strobe light to the #1 plug wire and shoot through the hole in the flywheel cover . There is an embedded ball bearing in the flywheel that should line up with the pointer at TDC.

Is a ‘59 235 different than a ‘54? Is this a right hand drive?My timing window is on the passenger side. Here is a photo of my old cracked bellhousing showing the location of the timing window with the pointer. The next picture is the flywheel showing the “BB”.

You know what, I'm probably confusing the timing hole on my Packard with the Chevy. The Packard is definitely on the driver side and I was thinking they're both on the same side but I'm probably wrong.

Of course it makes sense that the sight hole is on the same side as the distributor so you can watch the pointer while turning the dizzy. Packard dizzy is on the left, Chevy is on the right.

You have quite a fleet their!
Got me drooling over the Toronado, might get me band from the 'bolt.

Hi, thank you for your quick response.

do you have to align the ball on the point? at how many rpm?

what is the hole in the crankcase on the right for?

I look tomorrow.

@+ Pascal

Hahaha! I wanna know that, too! I knew I wasn't completely out in left field. I looked today and saw that hole on the driver side and knew I'd seen it before.

In the tune up section of the FSM, it only mentions 450-500 rpm for idle speed. I would use that for timing as well. I can't find anything else about it in the manual.

Be sure to set your Octane Selector on the dizzy to Zero before setting timing with the ball bearing.

hi, i looked. the index finger is on the passenger side as in the photo of phak 1. now to continue I have to make a crank and above all have time ........
for my request for information on the RPM, all is marked on the documentation that I attached .........
thank you for helping me. sorry for the translation.....

@+ Pascal

The ball and pointer timing method was actually designed to set the ignition timing with the engine stopped. That is known as "static timing". The engine is turned slowly in a clockwise direction from the front until the ball and the pointer align, then the distributor housing is rotated clockwise until the points close. Then turn the housing anti-clockwise until the points just barely break open, lock the adjusting screw, and the initial timing is set. You can make minor adjustments to the timing for best performance during a road test with the "octane selector" if you choose to do so. Depending on the quality of the gasoline you have available, it might be possible to move the timing up to approximately half the width of the bell housing window anti-clockwise from the pointer, but don't overdo things. Slightly late timing is much better than being over-advanced.
Jerry

I know someone...a-hem...who tried to time the previous 235 using the bolt hole in the flywheel with a bigger hole in the driver's side bell housing.