How to find Top Dead Centre // Paul Brodie's Shop 

"Hang out '" some of us would live under the stairs and eat scraps just to learn what you make look easy but requires much skill. Great job !

Glad to see another Paul and Mitch show uploaded! For those not brave enough for powered tapping you can just put the tap in the drill press and turn it by hand with gentle pressure on the down feed until it’s bitten in a few turns. Much less scary.

Always perfection when you do anything as well as clearly explained. Thanks for the online tutorial.

That’s the way I was shown how to find TDC as an apprentice too many years ago to remember. Top stuff Paul.

Nice!! The old side valve Dodge 6 engines used a plug in a small hole directly over #6 piston and you used a proprietry depth gauge to do the same job. Thanks Paul.

“Inexperienced machinist” made me laugh.

David A. nailed it, Paul & Mitch! Living under the stairs sounds GREAT! LOL! Your videos are always SO MUCH FUN!

If you feel the need to use a torque wrench, pull the spark plug, stuff some rope in the hole and jamb the piston against it. Works for chain saws. Cheers

Good Morning Starting the day with a nice cup of coffee, you two and life is great. Have a great day

A little tip: If you set the disc to 0° on the first "stop" you can simply divide the reading at the second one by 2, set the disc to that value und you have the 0° mark at TDC automaticly. Basicly what you did, but you don't have to estimate or calculate differences :-)

Paul haven’t seen this method in 40 years. I attended a Harley Davidson engine school back in 1978.

The easiest way to fit a Cub ignition is to spot face the crankcase, and put in threads for pillar bolts, which the stator can be mounted to. There needs to be some degree of movement on the mountings, so the stator can be moved slightly to get the air gap correct. Next establish the TDC position, using a piston stop, a fixed timing mark, and temporary marks on the rotor. Then, when the motor is ready to run, check the timing with a strobe light, that has an advance feature, so the TDC mark can be used to time the engine. There are other ways to do these jobs, but the above is very effective and is a lot less time-consuming than most other methods.

always thought one had to go only in one direction to time or find TDC, because of the play in he chain... also, when I need to time an engine precisely (which may or may not be neede on your engine), I don't measure TDC itself, rather a given amount (say 1 or 2mm) before and after TDC via a precision dial gauge, then TDC is in the middle of these 2 angles (this is because the piston moves slower at TDC, so the angular sensitivity of the measure, hence precision, is lowest)

Foot pedal on the drill press sounds like a great addition. I’ll have to add one to mine. Or maybe have it controlled with Siri “Hey Siri, turn drill press on.” “Hey Siri, turn drill press off QUICK!” “Hey Siri, order a new tap.”

Thanks you for your time guys🙏🇦🇺❤️

Thank you Paul. It's Saturday, late night and I'm still working... I'm alone in the silence of an empty, old building to do renovation Doing extra work for extra money because I need it. I just bought a tig welder a month ago, now I'm collecting the money for an Argon bottle. Looks stupid, I know, but it is the only way in order to be "allowed" to spend the money for "extra" stuff 😁. And Argon is not cheap here. Just to say that I really needed a break, and your video has been really refreshing 😊🤗. Thank you, as always, keep up the great work.

It is a sign of a good fabricator when you can fix or hide your mistakes, enjoyed it.

A tap-o-matic tapping head for your drill press would make power tapping in the drill press a lot easier! As often as you use it, it might be a worthwhile investment!

Thanks Paul... another of your playlists binge-watched I'm a bit surprised our paths haven't crossed, or perhaps they actually have - I am a former WMRRA Formula 3 champion (*OMMRA too, but that was, I think, Ultra-Lightweight Superbike *which I always felt was an oxymoron), I was a WMMRA tech inspector, WMMRA novice school instructor, and a Honda Pro motorcycle tech in the Pacific Northwest **Shout out to Millar Farewell! ;)

brilliant episode !! loved it, and Mitch`s arrow graphics were deadly accurate too, on the money!! 😊👍👍

That long threaded spark plug that you shave down and used as a piston stopper or top dead center finder it should never be substituted for a dial indicator. in this type of precision work.in any event. I liked the meticulous work that you do. That's why I give you the likes and the subscription to this channel

That was intimidatingly complicated but, a great learning video. Now all I have to do to really "get it", is watch it a couple more times!

Paul, I too use a foot pedal on my drill press but I use a momentary switch type. The click on- click off type are too scary for me. I know i know, safety second.......You're a brave man!

"He was spotted last week inside a hubcap." That was funny.

I’d like to know 2 things 1) what’s making the odd background noises…. Tasmanian devil? 2) why not just use a dial gauge to find tdc? Keep up the good work lads

Never ever leave the chuck key-in the chuck. They hurt you and the lath!

Always use this dead stop TDC method with the valve train unassembled. It’s possible in a lot of engines for a valve to hit the stop. I made the mistake, once, many years ago. 😬

Nice work. Watch that chuck key.

Thanks Paul, that made me think... but I reckon you’ve got a good, reliable, method for TDC there. Les in UK

Good one

Brilliant as always...

Great video, I like your tap wrench, looks high quality!

Did you mean counterbore rather than countersink for the capheads. Nice vid

A shadowy figure in a hub cap wasn't evidence of Mitch being "human". Humanoid robot, that's our guess. C'mon, Paul. We know you made a robot. Also, if I had your shop and talent, my entire house would be made of machined parts.

👍👍

Excellent skills Paul Cheers Chris

I was enjoying the series on the Tiger Cub, but haven’t seen anything in a few months. Is all OK? I was looking forward to seeing it run!

6:18 :D

How come you don't drill it all the way and tap it when it's already in the rotary table? It would save you a bit of time I guess! Also, proud that I'm one of the people who spotted Mitch! Keep up the awesome work and the videos, loving both!

Very informative video content.

Obviously relieved after shis was achieved.👍

Tap drill is 4.2mm. You knew that, right? No, but I have the chart on my wall. 😀

Paul, use different tool settings for the different holes. No writing needed. E.g. T1 is hole 1, etc. Thank you! All the best, Job

Superb

Johnny Cash would be impressed with all of the “adapters”

I have mixed feelings about Anchorlube- pretty good for slow ops but tends to fling and make a mess on faster ones eg drilling. Will have to try it more for tapping I suppose...

Just find TDC BOLT THE DISC TO THE CRANK OF YOU GO. A BIT OVER THE TOP 🧐

Pretty cool Paul, I think it's a bit above my pay grade though! lol

Great method, in the past I have used a dial indicator, your method should be much more accurate, thanks. 👍

Good... job.. sir

Sickkkkk

Peacock does not approve of the impact wrench

Inexpierienced machinist, haha🤣

I've always done it that way. But why every time turn out the stopper? You can have half a turn in the other direction to the other stop.

Use your smartphone camera instead of the DRO camera. I always remember it after the fact.

Hello from Ukraine

😎✌

Nice video but we all know the Real TDC is behind the camera.

So how and when did You measure how far down into the cylinder the piston stop pin was? I use this method too, but i always make sure i go down equal amount with the piston stop pin, every time!

Very Skookum Degree wheel mount. Sure beats double sided tape. But I don't know anybody who would use double sided tape?

Ohh c'mon where's the other tiger cub episodes you cant just stop after getting everyone hooked. i used to climb and play over cubs in the garden when i was a little lad they were my climbing frames. and sit on them and pretend to ride them open roads lol

What is the purpose of finding top dead center

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oNKtp1Y18QQ.html for the mysterious Mitch in a Hubcab.

It's all witchcraft to me!!!!!!!!!!!

You wouldn't have this problem if you started using electric motors.... 😂

Paul haven’t seen this method in 40 years. I attended a Harley Davidson engine school back in 1978.