ClassicCar

jdfreudi

How do you time a straight 8 (not the super

? The manual says use the timing light on the flywheel, but my flywheel has no marks. I can make marks on the harmonic balancer, but I do not know the angle for fire. I know the timing line is the third mark on the flywheel, but how many degrees BTDC is that so I can time it off the balancer?

Thanks,

Jason

Oldcar_Mechanic

According to my information, the straight eight timing will be three lines before TDC on the flywheel and the super eight will be four lines before TDC on the harmonic balancer. It has to have marks someplace. I have had problems with some of these cars that have them on the flywheel and you have to look very closely. I have had to remove all the plugs and turn the engine by hand very slowly to find them though.

Ron

jdfreudi

Thanks for the reply. The motor is not the super 8. I am asking this for my grandpa. He said the flywheel is not on the way it is supposed to be, so the marks are way off. We labeled the harmonic balancer and were wondering how many degrees (not how many marks) BTDC the timing is supposed to be.

Jason

Oldcar_Mechanic

My best guess would be 3 degrees.

According to my book at idle the timing would be 3 degrees and at idle (575) and 8 degrees at 1200 or 11 at 1550 depending on which distributor (number) you have in it. I am assuming that it is an Auto-Lite distributor.

I would guess that if you get it close, then you could time it by vacuum or best performance and trial and error.

Doing it the way you are has no exact measurement but I give you a lot of credit for making the best of a bad situation.

Keep me posted as I am interested in seeing what your outcome is and how you arrived at it.

Ron

jdfreudi

http://www.packardclub.org/

If you go here, and go through tune up and then "1940 Eight 1801 (UnZip - 2 files)", it says 8 degrees.

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