Essex Timing markings

[cookieboy]

thanks roger for the information .i need to do the timing on my car asap .im bidding on a timing light and dwell meter on e bay .so i can set it up properly .

[tony.idle]

The Ford drawing coincides precisely with that in my Autobooks Manual for the Scimitar.

[MikeyBikey]

Thanks everyone.

[Jimt_thenoo]

A few years ago while I had my heads off, I thought I would check how accurate the timing notch was on the crank pulley. Its been about 5 years or so since I did this so the figures quoted are from memory and may be wrong (but directionally correct!)...... Using a dial indicator gauge on cylinder one to find the exact top dead centre and a Classic Bikes degree disk on the pulley with a home made pointer I found that the notch was about 2-3 degrees out. So instead of 14 degrees BTDC it was timing at about 16-17 degrees BTDC. I then used a cold chisel to mark the pulley and now have the choice of two timing marks. On my "inconsistant starter..." post you'll see I have had starting issues because of the ignition circuit, but when I had an accuspark electronic pick up and coil fitted and timed to my new mark the engine ran smoother than it ever had. The car has not been on the road since so I cannot testify how good this is, but hopefully come the summer it will be MOT'd and I'll see. So how good was the quality control on both crankshaft pulleys and the engine castings? there must be an inbuilt variability here.

[747PETE]

Looking at that diagram Roger,if I take the distance form 14 to 8 i.e. the point distance of two peaks and transpose that distance from the 6 degree mark,that would be TDC? I only ask as I do not have a DTI at the moment to put down the #1 plug hole to get TDC. I want to find it for dynamic timing.

[Roger Pennington]

Yes, I would have thought that that should be a pretty accurate - subject of course to the accuracy of the existing marks, and your measurement accuracy. It's not going to be an absolute TDC, but I would have thought it was easily accurate enough to give you a good starting point? Once the engine is running then I'd guess you'd be using a strobe anyway?

[scimjim]

Ty-wrap down the plug hole and eyeball TDC. Why would you need TDC for dynamic timing - it’s only used for static reference?

[747PETE]

Ah Jim,I should have explained.I have a very useful timing light.All you need is an accurate TDC mark,nothing else.The light has an accurate tachometer as well,Once set up,you can either dial in your required running advance at any rpm and watch it advance or conversely you can see instantly what you actually have.It also measure dwell at the same time,it was a bargain buy at the time.The beauty of it all,if you can set the engine to TDC on #1 accurately,you just make a new set of markings on both crank pulley and timing case where they are easy to see.I am so used to “B Series” engines where you have a set of dynamic readings.I have always gone for about 28 to 32 degrees advance,vac plugged,whatever the state of tune and worked from there.This is the fancy timing light...needless to say,it was but a fraction of the cost when I bought it years ago.Thanks for all the input on this.Pete. https://www.innova.com/en-US/Product/De ... 4104391551

[scimjim]

Okay - so using the ty-wrap down number one plug method, mark the front cover either side of the TDC “rock” and accurate TDC is in the middle of those two marks.

[747PETE]

Yes that is the way to go without a DTI.A few years ago I made just such a thing from an old spark plug.I removed the inner and made up a probe from an old push rod,the domed end fits against the piston and I can lock it in place with a grub screw,then use it just like the way you suggested The biggest pain is arthritis in the thumbs getting those plugs in and out!! I hope you are keeping well these days

[V6pushfit]

I tried this with a chainsaw ie put a bolt through the plug hole to get the timing right. First crank with a spanner and found the bolt was about 2mm too long so I had this issue:

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