Help - Valve Adj Virgin seeks Advice

[tumalo98199]

Hi All,
After reading my Bentley Manual, 101 Projects, Tech Articles, etc. I decided to dive into a "two man wrench" job (Wayne's Skill Rating). I'm ready to get #1 TDC but having trouble with this mystical "Z1" referenced.

I've rotated the engine with the rotor pointed towards the "notch" on the distributor. Looking down at the Crank Pulley there is NO bright shiney Z1 glaring at me! There are several small notches throughout the circumfrence of the Pulley but no noticable Z1. When I strain and look between the two pulleys I see some sort of engraving like a mirage.

Is this where I should be looking for the Z1 or should it be staring me in the face? The engraving I am looking at is slight off and left of the casing split when the rotor is TDC. Is it good enough the rotoe is pointed in at the arrow in the Distributor?

I also hesitate to think I am TDC because there is 0 (ZERO) tolerance between valve and rocker. Not even close to weasel in my feeler guage. Since previous work was done by reputable shop seems to me I would have some tolerance in there and thus doubt my work so far.

Am I over analyzing?

Thanks so much for any advice you can spare!!!!

[Eagledriver]

I responded to this on the engine forum.

[sergeshishik]

This link you will find essential
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=264722&highlight=VALVE+ADJUSTMENT

[sergeshishik]

and here is your answer on TDC. i had the same questions when i lost my virginity.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=263391&highlight=top+dead+center

[sergeshishik]

lastly be careful putting your dist. cap back on. Mine went on crooked and i busted the cap and rotor. rotor is cheap but the caps can get expensive.

[Wil Ferch]

This might be of some help...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=250982&highlight=timing+marks+Z1

and this....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=249057&highlight=930+timing+marks


- Wil

[tumalo98199]

Well,
After a long day of second guessing, lot's of rereading, a few postings here, I finally gotter' done. Never found that Z1 marking but I finally quit with the analyzing and got to work.

After suckering my self into doing 120' increments off of TDC on the distributor I realized it' freakin' 120' off the pulley in a (yeah, think about that one for a bit and I think you will realize how screwed up I was.

Anywhoo, after a half day she's back together and running fine. Sounds somewhat better than before (was already humming before I mucked around with her).

To those first timers that come across my post here are some pointers:
1) when you drain the oil and think you have a pan big enough - think if it will keep up with the flow out of the drain plug
2) I recommend using a .003 feeler guage to (I can see why there are several postings recommending this. You do a "loose" .003 and you are pretty much there with less risk of making it too loose.
3) Don't focus on Z1 - find the notch closest to TDC off of the distrbutor. Still not sure where my Z1 is
4) Those 120' rotations on the Pulley transalate into each "wire" on the distributor

That's about all I have to share. Figure I should post given I folks took the time to give me some advice.

All the Best!

[Wil Ferch]

tumalo98199:

...did you even *look* at my posted threads ????..you say you still can't find TDC / Z1 ????

- Wil

[tumalo98199]

Yes Wil. Thanks for your post and advice. Any Z1 on the pulley was well off from the marks but I used your advice to place a bet at the table and assume markings I was looking at were pretty much TDC. That and the common sense I was lacking to make sure the rotor was "firing" on the right wire.

Thanks again for taking the time to provide some advice. It did help me get through the job.

[diabolos88]

I'll be doing mine first thing in the morning, good reading thanks Wil & Tumalo