Posted By: wtucker
Stupid timing question - 07/12/13 10:23 PM
Im having a serious brain fart here. The timing degrees on the timing chain cover. There's 10 above zero and 10 below zero. Is above atdc and below btdc?
Stupid timing question
Posted By: denfireguy
Re: Stupid timing question - 07/12/13 10:25 PM
Quote:Above is before, below is after.
Im having a serious brain fart here. The timing degrees on the timing chain cover. There's 10 above zero and 10 below zero. Is above atdc and below btdc?
Posted By: wtucker
Re: Stupid timing question - 07/12/13 10:33 PM
Ok so a radical cam should normally be 15-18 btdc
Posted By: Cab_Burge
Re: Stupid timing question - 07/12/13 10:58 PM
Quote:There is no cam timing marks on the timing cover, the cam moves at half the speed that the crankshaft does, so does the distributor
Ok so a radical cam should normally be 15-18 btdc
The marks on the timing tab on the timing cover are for ignition timing 
To check the valve timing on the camshaft you need a degree wheel and a accurate Top Dead Center indictaor 
Make sure and check the second lobe back on the # 1 cylinder, that is the intake lobe, the front one is the exahust lobe 
Everybody out there that has degreed a cam or two has probally forgot which lobe to use to check tha cam timing at least once, including me 
As far as ignition timing I like to set the distributors up so they have between 8 to 10 distribuor degrees advance built in, 16 to 20 crankshaft degrees, so the total timing with the motor revved up so all the mechanical advance is kick in all the way, that the motor has between 34 and 36 degrres bTDC
IHTHs 
Posted By: Dan Halen
Re: Stupid timing question - 07/13/13 02:26 AM
Quote:
Ok so a radical cam should normally be 15-18 btdc
Mine is @ 22*btdc initial timing...242*@.050
Posted By: RobX4406
Re: Stupid timing question - 07/13/13 02:29 AM
Quote:Quote:Above is before, below is after.
Im having a serious brain fart here. The timing degrees on the timing chain cover. There's 10 above zero and 10 below zero. Is above atdc and below btdc?
Depends on which fender you are looking over!
Driver side, you are correct.
Hillbilly timing tape the balancer and you can get readings up to 40* BTDC, no timing tape required.
Depending on how radical the cam is, yes 15+ is a decent starting point for ignition timing.
Posted By: RapidRobert
Re: Stupid timing question - 07/13/13 02:44 AM
I verify TDC with the ten dollar tool then I cut a strip of paper & measure/make several marks on it for the marks I need & use it as a ruler to mark the dampener clockwise from the TDC slit with white paint. 0.0632683" around the circumference is (1) degree & four or five marks 10-15-20-35-38 is plenty for me. For example 2&7/32 is 35 degrees. I worry more about the inaccuracy of timing lights in general & I love playing with my dialback but I dont have faith in it's accuracy either but I live with it