Re: Timing Marks (archive)

There should be a notch in the crankshaft flywheel that looks like a chisel mark, across the outer edge of the damper, which is about 1/4 inch thick. This is TDC and another raised mark should be on the lower timing cover.

Sometimes the best way to find it is to ease under the front of a running car with a little bit of steel wool, and brighten up the rim of the damper. Careful, now, okay?

There should be a steel ball about 1/8 inch diameter in the outer rim of the flywheel, visible through a hole in the bell housing where it mates with the block. On manual shift cars, I think the hole is about at 11 o'clock; on auto trans cars it's more like 10 o'clock.

There ball is the timing mark. There is a TCD mark on the flywheel too, looks like the chisel strike on the damper, and has a "T" on one side of the strike, and "O" on the 'tother. So: T|O.

The ball and TDC marks on the flywheel can be hard to find due to accumulation of rust and grease. The damper is easily cleaned, engine running or no; to clean the flywheel, maybe you would dare wrap a bit of scotchbrite around the end of a pencil and slowly slip it into the hole until it rubs the ball.

When the ball is bright, turn off the engine and rotate until you see the ball. It's helpful to estimate the correct position by observing the distributor rotor approaching the notch in the rim of the distributor body, then look closely with a light through the hole. When you find the TDC strike, dab a bit of white paint on it from the end of a little stick. Use a different color for the timing mark (ball).

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