Timing mark

The FORD balancers all have markings from -10 to +30 or so.

A lot of people mark the flywheel through the rectangular bell house port and use that.

I would use George's instructions for setting the timing using a vacuum gauge and not worry about what the balancer says.

It will wind up as about 16 degrees initial at about 1,000 rpm. That's ABOUT what you want on it.

The tag on the fender that says 16 @1000 is there for a reason.

You can easily get it down to 750 or 800 rpm with a stock engine, but what will happen is that there will be a little sluggishness to it off of idle like the accelerator pump isn't working right.



I have mine down to 650 with this big cam and the Webers. It's the Webers that are allowing it and allowing a nice response to the accelerator pedal.

It does sound a lot like a speedboat at idle this way, but that's ok with me. It keeps everyone else guessing? The biggest problem is that it does cause havoc at stop lights because everyone is looking at the car to begin with. That's actually an effect of the sound of the 180 headers.

That actually causes a lot of other people to get speeding tickets. When the light changes they think that the "tree" just flashed green?
I try to ignore them all, but sometimes it's hard.



On an earlier car it might ping just a little that way because of the higher compression ratio, but not a lot.

I suspect that with your "customer", no matter what you do will cause some sort of criticism anyway? You need to start some where.


Setting the timing on a P is the biggest PITA you will NORMALLY find on the car.
I had a friend that would set it with the bulkhead cover off, driving the car. I would caution you on that as being extremely dangerous. For me, my right elbow is right there at the water pump pulley.

I use the vacuum gauge.

Guess I need to do some cleaning !!! ALL I saw was that big notch. Re vacuum, I assume that would be at a direct unchecked port, right?

Actual engine vacuum. Should be a vacuum tree coming out of the rear of the intake manifold that you can tap by taking a vacuum cap off of.

I think the notch is at 180?

I have a 4v balancer off the car in the shop. I can shoot a picture of the timing marks if need be and post it here. Let me know if you need it?

"Your" intake should look like this with the tree at the rear. You can see it in this pic.
Connect the vacuum gauge to that.

Had a wire bush (toothbrush shaped) and just laid it on the balancer with the engine idling. Found the marks !!!! Used the vacuum method but that had me at 22-23 degrees at idle, so set the timing to 16 degrees, and buttoned it up. So, something else off the checklist. Re-installed the factory air filter and it does NOT like it above 4000 rpm. I think the flapper valve on the snorkel may not be opened properly.

They tend to rust up just a little bit. Kind of a restrictive device for a performance vehicle.

There isn't anything harmful with 23 degrees. If you can get the rpm to where it is supposed to be and it doesn't ping at WOT, that's probably where it should be.

The only issue I can think of with that much initial advance is that the engine may be difficult to turn over hot, like St.Louis hot.

Those balancers also have the tendency to migrate the outer rings with age as well.

Just things to consider before you give the "banana" back.

quote:

Originally posted by PanteraDoug:
Actual engine vacuum. Should be a vacuum tree coming out of the rear of the intake manifold that you can tap by taking a vacuum cap off of.

"Your" intake should look like this with the tree at the rear. You can see it in this pic.
Connect the vacuum gauge to that.

The "tree" on The Banana is at the front. Interesting.

Are there many bananas growing on it

Don't make too many assumptions re ignition timing off a stock harmonic balancer, Bob. After 42 years of life, the stock balancer's outer ring (with the timing marks) is known to move a little- always in the retard position. That shifts the mark and you can really do a mistiming number on some engines. Those 351-4V balancers were not bonded- only pressed together and rubber does shrink with age. I have a half-dozen OEM balancers '71-74 around my shop and all have shifted- one by 200 degrees! Find True TDC off #1 piston with a small OD degree wheel before trying to set timing or you may regret it.

Thanks for all the help on this. DID leave it set at the timing mark for now. The rear main seal is for shit, so when the engine comes out this winter I'll install new balancer. In the meanwhile, the owner gets the banana back in the next couple of days, put a few hundred miles on it this summer, and I'll get it back for the rear main.