The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop i need a timing for dummies walk through

i have never been good with setting timing- most of my attempts have been on 95 and newer cars, i have a 63' 327. i rebuilt the motor, and after 2 weeks worth of researching i thought i had figured out how to set it. now im back to thinking i dont know sh!t about it! i looked through the tech articles and used the search but everything i found was more along the lines of tuning the timing. i basically need to know from installing the dist. on how to set the timing. the timing cover has a welded on tab with timing marks; there is a 0, and 6 or 7 notches to advance and retard. are these marks each 1 degree? the harmonic balancer has a stripe on it (i think its for matching up with the marks on the tab on the timing cover?) i set the mark to 6-7 degrees advance; unless those marks are each 2 deg. which is what i originally thought- would make it 12deg advance (making sure that it was on the compression stroke) then i put the distributor in noting where the no. 1 plug was according to the base so that i could make sure that the rotor was pointing twards the no 1 plug. put the cap on - but it seemed that the vac advance was turned a lot more clockwise than when i removed it, making the no. 1 plug set off to the left instead of almost strait forward (where i remember it being when i removed it). according to where the no 1 plug is on the dist. that i marked i installed the wires in order. i dumped a little gas into the carb (i rebuilt the carb and replaced the fuel line so i knew it would take a while for the fuel bowls to fill) it fired immediately when i cranked it, but only for a split second. (just long enough to put a huge smile on my face) i cranked it a couple more times pouring a little gas each time till the fuel bowls were filled enough that i could see the power piston squirting into the carb when i pushed the throttle. but it just wouldn't start. it would sound like it wanted to- ever once in a while it would do that thing where it sounds like it is going to start and i could hear the exhaust tone and the rpm speeding up (like when you start a cold old truck), but it just wouldn't start for more than a second. for fear of burning up the starter i stopped and decided to go back to researching the timing. i felt the exhaust manifolds (ram horns) and the driver side was still very cold, the passenger side around the 6 and 8 cylinder was pretty cold, but the front around the 2 and 4 cylinder was warm- like it had been firing. i know the plugs and wires are good (brand new) im thinking that its the timing. help! whaaaa .

You set the timing after you get the engine running.

Put the engine on TDC at 0 degrees, The crank goes around twice so when the timing mark is at 0 you are either on TDC #1 cylinder or TDC #6 cylinder. Pull the #1 plug and stick a screwdriver in the hole to feel if the piston up to confirm you are on the #1 cylinder. Replace the plug and wire.

Install the distributor so that the rotor is pointing to the correct location (a little bit counterclockwise from straight forward) Install the hold down and snug it down to a point where you can still turn the distributor with a little effort.

You don't say what carbureator you are using but if it is a 4 barrel Like this one, you can pour gas down into the tube looking hole towards the front to fill the bowl. This will supply enough gas to get the engine started and run for about a minute. If your fuel lines are hooked up it should start pulling its own gas from the tank by then.

Have your assistant try starting the engine, It may fire and run right away or it may not. If not then while it is cranking turn the distributor slowly each direction until it fires, when it fires and runs get out the timing light and set it to the proper degree.

i had guessed that it was the timing mark- but i figured it was best to try and forget everything i thought i knew since it didnt work. i wish it was a Quadrajet- its a 4jet. quadrajets are my preferred carb by far, and the 4jet that is on it has a narrow base so i cant just swap it with a new square bore. thanks for the run through- probably didnt help that i was trying to figure it out at 2 in the morning. well rested and all coffee'd up i think ill give it another try!

One important detail left out from FGT's timing drill.You must be sure that #1 is on the COMPRESSION stroke---so the old finger in the plug hole trick as you are turning it to the mark.When it is blowing your finger out stop on TC that time.Another way is when the rocker cover is off is to look at the rocker position of #1 or #6--if both valves of a cylinder are closed when on TC that cyl is in the firing position.
Pull all the wires out of the cap.With #1 on TC of the firing stroke, put the dist in with the body oriented near where you want it,lift it enough to allow the shaft to be rotated to where you want it.Lower the dist into the hole keeping in mind that the shaft will turn a little as it engages the gear and you may have to turn the oil pump shaft slot a little before the dist will go fully down.If you still like the shaft/body position turn the body opposite shaft rotation direction to where the points just open or if no points to where the peaks on the dist reluctor (rotating part of the pickup) align with the peaks on the stationary part of the pickup.Tighten the hold down clamp snug but not tight.Find the wire hole in the cap that most nearly aligns with the rotor, it won't be perfect because it advances when the increasing engine speed advances the spark.That is #1 position so the others can be installed from this reference.
When installed carefully this way the timing will within 3 deg of TC.
The marks on the timing tab represent 2 deg increments.
It sounds like your timing is good enough to run or it wouldn't have started so well when bottle fed but yes I would move the shaft a tooth or 2 to get the dist in factory position but this is only critical on 55 and 56 265 engines which will cut off the oil to 1 bank of lifters and rockers if the dist body is positioned drastically different than having the vacuum advance chamber point over the right rocker cover lower front corner.
Changes in 57 made this not a factor.

You are probably one plug off. The following is the "all by yourself method, no helpers available". The cap is keyed to the distributor base (you know that already) So after you take out distributor, mark on the base where rotor points to no.1, take out all plugs!, disconnect battery!. Put a piece of kleenex in no 1 spark plug hole, just enough to plug hole but not a big glob but not tiny either or it will get sucked in (won't hurt anything)(1/3 to 1/2 of a kleenex). you will hear it and see it blow out. Rotate engine BY HAND clockwise until the kleenex blows out hard. You will then see the timing mark on the harmonic balancer is at or just past the 0 mark on the timing tab. (the "saw tooth" tab is 2 deg each valley, each peak) If the balancer line went a little past 0, go around twice stopping right at 0. With cap off distributor , rotate the distributor (which is off and in your hand) CW until you are one plug shy of no. 1 (45 deg)(that's no. 2 plug, 18436572) this is approximate place to place it because the distributor will rotate when placed down into the hole as it engages the oil pump rod/gear) After turning to one shy of no. 1, look at the oil pump slot on the distributor which I believe is in line with the rotor. Anyway use a screwdriver or hack saw blade and rotate oil pump shaft to align with where the dist. slot is. then lower it down in, let it settle and rotate until the clamp flange is bottomed out. If it's not pointing to your mark, do it again. As far as where to clamp dist., No. 1 will generally be pointing forward, keep the clamp screw a litle loose. Put all the plugs back on, dist. cap on, wires all checked and on, and start, time it to 6 BTDC. with vacuum pluged at hose at dist end. let me know what happens. Worst case, bad distributor components, ignition short, harmonic balancer rubber isolator slipped, timing chain slipped/broken gear/etc., and more. Make sure you put just a little gas in carb, don't flood it. work the choke by hand, maybe carb needs adjust also. float and etc. P.S. the reason you take all plugs out is so you can rotate engine with a socket on the balancer bolt without much effort or stress on bolt. you can also leave all the electrics hooked up and bump the engine with starter, but that is a lot more screwing around and hard to do alone and you NEVER stop on zero. This first way is dead nuts.