The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Need help timing 292 6cyl /mark way off

Please help trying to set timing on My 1970 C50 with 292 6 cyl. The timing pointer and balancer look correct. when it is idling good, I can't find the mark on the balancer. I have a adjustable timing light if I crank it up to about 40 degrees advanced the mark is on zero. obviously incorrect. I have checked firing order, Ok 153624, and vacume advance unplugged. the balancer does not look like it has spun in the rubber. The engine on this truck was replaced at one time. is there different balancer/pointer combinations? The pointer now is on the drivers side of the engine. can I just set to the best vacume reading and get away with it??

I saw some where that a 292 and 250 have the same cover, only the timing pointer is in a different place, is this correct? mabey I have a 250 cover on my engine. If so how can I figure out where zero should be on my 292? Thanks

I have seen those balancers move on the rubber. Might check it really close. You local FLAPS should be able to get a new balancer for you. Might even let you check it against your old one to see if it is right.

Only one way I know-find top dead center of cyl # 1 on the comp stroke, use a pencil or wooden dowel inserted in the #1 plug hole to find TDC, then put a new mark on the dampner.

Yes! that's what I'll have to do Thanks

There's a slightly more accurate way to find TDC. Find an old spark plug, and knock the porcelain center out of it with a punch. Thread the steel shell with a 3/8X16 tap, and screw a 2" long bolt into it. Cut the bolt head off with a hacksaw, and round off the end to a ball shape.

Install the plug into the #1 cylinder, and carefully turn the engine over by hand until the piston stops against the bolt. Mark the damper under the pointer with a sharpie or a piece of chalk. Now, turn the engine backwards until it stops again. Mark this spot. Measure the distance between the two marks. Exactly halfway between the marks will be top dead center.

Don't forget to pull the stop plug out before you crank the engine with the starter!
Jerry

Yes there are different balancer/pointer combinations on 292's. I have several & the 'ZERO' mark/crank keyway relationship differs & the pointer is located different on the front cover. I think they changed these about as regular as the crank flange/flywheel combo's. Doug

OK,,lets time this,,,with engine at idle and a vacum gauge installed on intake vacum retard dist until vacum falls off then adv dist until highest vacum reading is obtained then retard dist until you lose one number on your gauge...at this point you should be very close to the correct timing....doc

Jerry,
Do you have a picture of this special tool? Not quite sure which end your screwing the bolt into. Is it the electrode end or the porcelin end? I need to do the same thing to my I-6.

Thanks,
Rich

Rich, just bust out the porcelin from a sparkplug that fits your engine. Its kinda hard to get out, so you will have to work at it a bit. Then thread a bolt in from the plugwire side. You might be able to rent a tool from your parts house for this job.
Pull a battery cable before inserting the tool, you don't want to change out a piston and rod due to a mishap!

Joe

That's why I tell folks to use a dowel, also its easy to mark on, as it goes up/down it can be used to find TDC using the marks. I've seen guys tear up pistons using a TDC stop

Definitely turn the engine BY HAND, with the battery disconnected. Removing all the spark plugs and using a long wrench on the crank pulley bolt helps. Finding TDC by the WAG method might be OK for doing a rough ignition timing adjustment, or something similar, but checking cam timing or determining the accuracy of a timing mark really requires a piston stop and a little common sense.

If you want a universal tool that works on a variety of engines, thread a piece of 3/8X16 all-thread in from the top side, with a jam nut against the top of the plug shell. Adjust the length up or down until the piston stops about 1" before TDC. For small block V-8's, a 2" long bolt threaded in from the bottom with the head hacksawed off and the end rounded works just right.

Jerry

i am no expert but i know there are at least two variations in timing cover/balancer combos. the later models have it on the pass side. the older ones on the drivers side i beleive. i think there is also another for the p van modles. i made a slightly fancier version of the dowel tool i took the porc out of the plug, mad a incert for a spring loaded rod to slide in and could mount a dial indicator on the top side. it was accurate but i found out that i liked the positive stop method hot rod linc is describing because when you turn the engine by hand because of the compression it is hard to stop exactly where you want it. it also stays at tdc for a few degrees. sooo not the dowel won't do it, just somethin to ponder. you can also buy these with threads on them that screw in the plug hole. you shouldn't listen to me i'm the guy that spent two days making a tool that a 5.00 one will work beter. good luck. hr