First off don't make any drastic changes if the engine really is running well. You know it can't be at ATDC. So do what many have suggested, pull a plug, get piston #1 on TDC and see where your timing mark is. If its not on TDC you know something is wrong such as harmonic balancer slipped, timing marks cut in the wrong place, etc. If it is at TDC you are doing something wrong setting up the timing light. I really doubt it is a problem with how the engine is set up or, like you said, it wouldn't run so well.

So, I thought about this on my way home tonight, and I think if I were standing in your shoes right now, I would buy, or fabricate a piston stop that threads in the plug hole, then get out my degree wheel, and find absolute top dead center, very easy, very accurate. Then either buy an adjustable pointer, or make your own timing marks, and you are good to go.
Keep us posted

You could also just take the schrader valve out of a compression gauge setup and use that to determine TDC.

1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 doan work on furds.

#1 is front passenger side furd, #1 is front driver's side for chebby. But you know that.
(ducking)

BTW, who degreed the cam?
Prolly some old fart. can't trust them old farts ya know.

when you verify that #1 is at TDC,
also verify that the distributor rotor is pointing at the # 1 plug wire

Distributor is off by 1 tooth?

Sometime aftermarket harmonic balancers have 2-3 sets of timing marks.

GOT THE SOB!!!
In the middle of my build, I found that Pertronix distributor I had bought didn't fit my application worth spit......too tall & too large in diameter. So on the shelf it went. Bought another model Pertronix dizzy that was the same size as the stocker & it fit right

So, off the shelf came the first one which I had used only to break in the cam/lifters. 12-14 deg worked when I checked timing at the time.......and still does.
Of course it still interferes with timing if you don't have it in there just right & there is 0 rotation for more advance....Monte Carlo bar don't fit no more either.

Pertronix is gonna get a call tomorrow.....and they'll think that I'm as full of shyte as a Christmas goose...... I am, but not about this.

I still don't how the dizzy did the trick....:confused:[img]

Dizzy out of phase and timing changed to match?

Nice looking motor.

Ford used several different timing chain covers and the location of the timing indicators are different. They also used different markings on several different harmonic balancers to match up with the appropriate timing cover.
If your engine is running fine I think you need to find a timing cover with the indicator in the ballpark of where you harmonic balancer marks are now when the timing light strobes on them. Or, it is probably be easier to get a new harmonic balancer to match the indicator you have now. Jegs, Summit all have them at a reasonable price. I got one from them and smeared a little white rust paint into the timing marks to make them easier to see.
Steve

Something like that, I think. I also checked timing at plug#6 thinking maybe a bad plug wire on #1..... got 40 deg advance. I don't know how the innards of a Pertronix pickup module work........just a vague idea of the actual physical make up. Either an internal defect or just installed in the dizzy incorrectly......maybe the "cam" on the central shaft was radially mislocated.:confused:

Thank ya'lll for the ideas. If it was close to a normal problem there would have been no thread. There is a boatload of crap that can go wrong when firing up a new engine. Add to that, I get as nervous as a whore in church no mater how many times I do it .

This one was enlivened by the electric rad fan running backwards.....engine getting hot....temp gauge not working...... sweat starting to roll down the crack of my ass....did check timing with the "other" dizzy and it was good.....and plumb forgot about it......gettin' old ain't all it's cracked up to be.

I did not check the first post but I see the word Pertronix in there now??!! When I had that put in the distributor of the 2L six I was putting in the 914 race car, Mark at Black Forest in San Diego said it would be easier to let him do the install and setup. Maybe this is why, but anyways I let him do it.

I had a Pertronix module in the 2.7L RS dizzy in my 914 (it was afordable back in the day).....never had a problem with it in 11 years. They seemed to be bullet proof if wired correctly....only 2 wires....duh.

These units are complete Pertronix distributors, one cast and one billet housing......The cast one fits in properly but has the problem. The billet unit is not an ideal fit but works......"if it wasn't for bad luck......".