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Finding TDC for straight up timing chain install.help

26K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  mysticowner 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm installing a straight up timing chain in my otherwise stock '77 460.
I pulled all rad, etc off and with a socket on the crank bolt rotated till the balancer was at zero and the rotor was pointing at cyl #1 on ditributor.
I pulled timing cover but the crank and cam were not exactly lined at 6 & 12 oclock so I adjusted by rotating the crank slightly to make them line up perfect.

So I pulled the crank and cam gears off and went to instal my "straight up cloyes one, the cam sprocket lines up perfect at 6 ocklock still, but my stock crank gear had the keyway just slighty ( inbetween the 12ocklock mark and the next tooth towards 1 ocklock, but my cloyes crank gear has the keyway directly in line with the "0" 12 o'clock mark, so my question(finally) is, with the timing chain off is it ok to turn the crank back, counterclockwise slightly to line the wood ruff key to 12 ocklock, because right now it is sitting at say 12:10 because the stock keyway was slightly off???

Second question, I've noticed my rotor is actually pointing just past (left of) the #1cyl mark on distributor, directly in the middle of the #1 cyl terminal and the #5cyl am I at tDC?
Can I tell if I pull my passenger valve cover????
Or is this just like that because of the stock '77, retaded timing chain I'm switching out.

Thanks alot in advance, sorry about long post
mat
if I could give you beers in advance over the net I would.
 
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#6 ·
Yes you can turn the crank back a few degrees to line up the keyway. It probably was out that much either because of the worn chain and gears or, as you say the cam was installed retarded. Rule of thumb when checking for a worn chain is to TDC the timing mark on the balancer by turning the engine forward, stop at 0, then slowly turn the engine backwards until the rotor button starts to move, read the timing marks, anything over 8* is considered excessive chain and gear wear. Hope that helps.
Rob
 
#7 ·
yes it has 3 keyways. Its a Cloyes street roller, it has the straight up 0 (they refer to as factory setting), and than an advanced and a retarded keyway(+or- 4 degrees). I know i want to set it straight up, zero advance, but just wasn't sure if it's ok to rotate the crank back slightly, separate from the cam, to get the key on the crank straight up, thanks. but sounds like it is ok to do this, as long as I don't touch the distributor, and I make the cam and crank sprockets line up at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock.

The thing throwing me off is that the stock crank sprocket i pulled off my '77 motor has the zero, a half a tooth back (counter clockwise) from the actual keyway, where as my new crank sprocket has the key way directly below the zero, so in order to make the new sprocket line up at 12 o'clock i have to roll the crank back slightly, and separate from the cam to make this happen, keeping the cam keyway at 6 o'clock.

Sorry, if that doesn't make any sense, just be thankful I don't write the manuals.

thanks
mat
 
#8 ·
Thanks white lightning, just read your post, by the way that's one of my favorite movies. Gator's 429 4spd, with steelies and no caps, is pretty sweet.

So, I just line up the keyways and put it all back together, not touching the distributor, and everything thing should be set back at TDC when the balancer is at "0"?
 
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