timing engine without TIMING TAB

[chevy art]

my buddy has a chev 2 with a 350 sbc and has a dilema, engine was rebuilt and installed without a timing tab on timing cover. it is extremely difficult to install one now as car has power steering and it is next to impossible to get an aftermarket tab on engine. is there any trick to time this car without a tab. sure hope this isnt a stupid question. i run a nova and a vega and know how to time my cars but this is the only way i know(with timing light) thanks art

[DaveMcLain]

I think I'd try to do it this way: Pull off a valve cover using either cylinder 1 or 6(running mates) and get the engine first in split overlap and then bar it around so that the piston is on the way up on the compression stroke(valves closed). Take a piece of wire, I like to use a 3/16 aluminum welding rod and stick it in through the spark plug hole all the way over till it touches the wall on the opposite side of the cylinder. Now carefully bar the engine over till the piston pinches the aluminum rod between it and the deck. Now make a mark somewhere. You can really do it at either end of the engine, maybe you could drill a hole through the bell housing?? Then carefully bar the engine back the other direction and pinch your wire again, make another mark. TDC will be 1/2 way between your two marks.

[Firedome8]

Max vacuum - 2inches ,,TDC stop ,,,, chassis dyno session,,,advance till light ping on load and back off from their....

[Schurkey]

I think I'd try to do it this way: Pull off a valve cover using either cylinder 1 or 6(running mates) and get the engine first in split overlap and then bar it around so that the piston is on the way up on the compression stroke(valves closed). Take a piece of wire, I like to use a 3/16 aluminum welding rod and stick it in through the spark plug hole all the way over till it touches the wall on the opposite side of the cylinder. Now carefully bar the engine over till the piston pinches the aluminum rod between it and the deck. Now make a mark somewhere. You can really do it at either end of the engine, maybe you could drill a hole through the bell housing?? Then carefully bar the engine back the other direction and pinch your wire again, make another mark. TDC will be 1/2 way between your two marks.

In short, find true TDC on #1 or #6, paint a mark on the timing cover to match the groove in the damper. Dial-back timing light to set timing using the paint mark as a TDC indicator.

Or, use a timing tape or equivalent on the damper, and a regular timing light.

Either way, the paint mark is the TDC indicator.

[DaveMcLain]

I think I'd try to do it this way: Pull off a valve cover using either cylinder 1 or 6(running mates) and get the engine first in split overlap and then bar it around so that the piston is on the way up on the compression stroke(valves closed). Take a piece of wire, I like to use a 3/16 aluminum welding rod and stick it in through the spark plug hole all the way over till it touches the wall on the opposite side of the cylinder. Now carefully bar the engine over till the piston pinches the aluminum rod between it and the deck. Now make a mark somewhere. You can really do it at either end of the engine, maybe you could drill a hole through the bell housing?? Then carefully bar the engine back the other direction and pinch your wire again, make another mark. TDC will be 1/2 way between your two marks.

In short, find true TDC on #1 or #6, paint a mark on the timing cover to match the groove in the damper. Dial-back timing light to set timing using the paint mark as a TDC indicator.

Or, use a timing tape or equivalent on the damper, and a regular timing light.

Either way, the paint mark is the TDC indicator.

Yes and then you could always measure the diameter of the damper, multiply by 3.14 and then divide by 10 to get a distance to a mark for 36 degrees.

[GARY C]

Max vacuum - 2inches ,,TDC stop ,,,, chassis dyno session,,,advance till light ping on load and back off from their....

Yep! TDC stop, timing tape and a mark on the timing cover.