Quick Question about TDC

[beanplant]

How do you find TDC, and which way do you turn the crank? I got my tranny on the motor now, and i think i needed to put it back to TDC to put the distributor in. Thanks!

-Shaun

 

[WORTH]

How do you find TDC, and which way do you turn the crank? I got my tranny on the motor now, and i think i needed to put it back to TDC to put the distributor in. Thanks!

-Shaun

The easiest way to determine engine rotation in any machine it to look at the fan blade, it has to pull air.

In your case if your facing the front of the engine it will be turning clockwise.

TO find TDC, pull #1 spark plug, put your finger in the plug hole and have someone tap the key until you feel compression, then put a screwdriver in the hole and touch the top of the piston while someone turns the engine slowly by hand. when the piston stops going up, your at TDC. You can also watch the timing mark if the balancer is good, and when it hits 0 your there.

 

[351LX]

If you are installing your distributor you will also need to make sure that you are at TDC on the compression stroke and not the exhaust stroke.I usually pull a valve cover and watch the rocker arms on the number 1 cylinder.The TDC following when the intake valve closes as you turn the motor clockwise is what you need.If you have reason to believe the pointer or marks on your balancer might be off, you can verify them fairly easy.Take an old sparkplug and gut it.Place a bolt through the middle that sticks out a couple of inches and secure it in place by welding it or some other means.Smooth off any sharp edges and thread it into the number one spark plug hole.Gently turn the motor clockwise until the bolt just touches the piston and put a mark on the balancer where the pointer is.Turn the motor counter-clockwise and do the same.TDC will be exactly in the middle of the two marks.