All,
I think I installed my timing gears off. Reason being, when I try to time the engine, I can't turn the distributor far enough to get the timing mark to line up with TDC. The timing mark starts out wayyyyy before TDC then if I turn the distro counter clockwise it'll come almost down to the timing mark, but then the distro hits against the manifold and I can't turn it anymore. Looks like the closest it'll get to TDC is about 20 degrees BTDC. I have a 1976 Intake installed on a 69 455 with a 1976 intake manifold.

Just wondering if there are any old school tricks to see if I installed the gears right. I think I installed both gears at 12:00 but I'm not trying to pull the timing cover to check unless I have to. The car runs pretty good considering.

I had to turn the distro to 30 or 40 degrees BTDC just to get it to start. Almost a quarter turn

 

It doesn't matter which way you install the timing gear dots, as long as you install and clock the distributor so that the cylinders fire at TDC on the compression stroke, not exhaust stroke. The crank makes two revolutions for every one revolution of the cam, so if you just rotate the crank one time the cam dot will be exactly the opposite of where you started.

What DOES matter is that you "degree" the cam. That is, verify that the cam opening and closing events are occurring exactly where the manufacturer intends. Due to variations in aftermarket cams and timing chain sets, you can't trust the dots. You will need a degree wheel and dial indicator to do this.

As far as your distributor problem is concerned, you just need to lift it and move it one or two teeth in the right direction so that you can get the adjustment range you need.

 

I already tried pulling the distro, rotating a tooth or two (Both ways), then dropping back in there and I still can't get the timing mark to line up. I have a degree wheel, etc. I just was wondering if there is an easier way to check if the gears are installed properly. I was reading the instructions to degree my cam but I have never done it before. Is it really hard to do? Can someone tell me how to degree it in layman's terms? Or point me to a link

 

The dots need to be aligned across from one another. Cam gear at 6 o'clock and crank gear at 12 o'clock. Sounds like you have the cam 180' out.

 

It is irrelevant which way the cam gear is installed, with its timing mark at 6 o'clock or 12 o'clock. The first will be #6 firing, and the latter will be #1 firing. When the timing mark on the gear is at 6 o'clock, the dowel pin will be at 12 o'clock.

Once you have the engine at TDC for #1, set the rotor blade about .40-.44" CCW from being centered on the #1 distributor cap post. That will give enough timing advance for easy starting.

 

Courtesy of oldspower.com

http://www.oldspower.com/vb/showthread.php?t=39723

mike

 

Another way to look at it would be since the crank is 2 revolutions for every one of the cam if the marks are 12:00 and 12:00 the next revolution they will be 6:00 on the cam and 12:00 on the crank so no matter which way it is correct, maybe this helps?

 

i alway's setting my timing mark on 0 and put the distributor hei on with trieing to match the distributor points to it.
That will be my no 1 piston, and from then folowing the firering order.

if it hit the engine, reset the distributor. and it will turn a bit when putting the distributor on thanks to the shape of the gear