Ignition Timing First Step: Before you EVER Touch the Timing Light 

HELLO! I know its been awhile - sorry to let ya'll know I ain't dead just yet! :) I do have TH289 hats back in inventory again, check the description above if interested. also also, this is the timing light I use - I see its currently discounted! amzn.to/3cvxGzE

THANK YOU for sharing your knowledge in a teaching way for us younger guys trying to get into classics and having not growing up in the 60s-70s and not knowing this knowledge. not a lot of guys around to share this knowledge. we are lucky to have youtube with guys like you to share!

Welcome back Luke, Congratulations on getting married

You're very right when people swap around balancers and timing covers. Sometimes we forget that over 50 years, lots of hands touch these engines and you never really know the history.

Welcome back Luke. Congrats to you and Mrs. Thunderhead. May you have a wonderful and long life together. Stay safe, God Bless.

Congrats on your wedding to your beautiful bride. My wonderful wife of 25 years hollered to me this afternoon that I had some mail in the mailbox. I yelled, "Is it from Ames, Iowa?" She said, "It sure is". YES, my hat is here! Great quality hat, Luke. I can give the ol' Vice Grip Garage hat a break and rock this one for a while. And great video as always. 👌

Great Video!!! I have been meaning to adjust my timing on my '68 Chevelle Malibu (4door) and have been dreading the process of getting the engine at TDC, but I had no idea about this piston stop method! This will make my job soo much easier when adjusting my timing! Thanks for posting this video! It is a real help!

I love your Maverick! My buddy is daily driving a 75 Comet in Seattle causing all types of havoc on the streets! Thanks so much for these videos, you are a life saver. I've been battling a 327 in my LUV for some time now and these videos are getting me closer and closer to squaring it away. Keep wrenching!

Last time I used a timing light was on my 1966 Chevelle. But I’m hooked on your videos and feel that I’ve learned a lot. Congrats on getting married and thanks for sharing the knowledge.

A long time ago you personally helped me with my Camry door light. Now you're gonna help me with my Winnebago (see image). Thank you for the good content and for trying to help people!

Thanks for doing this one. It confirmed what I thought you were saying in another video regarding your style of timing light. Now I think I'm ready to re watch some of those other ones!

Hi Luke, I really appreciate your videos. I have learned a lot from you as I tune up my Jeep with a 258 (4.2) I6, Summit HEI and Weber 38. It has gone from sucking wind up hill to a veritable beast.

Keep the vidjas coming man, as a ford guy, you represent us ford guys better than anyone. Just you, the camera, and some old junkers, thats all it takes for me to click on er!!

Love your videos! Very informative. I’ve learned a lot. Keep up the good work. Glad to see you back!

AWESOME post ,much needed as I'm having these issues on my sbc. 👍😎

Luke great video you always give a good explanation of what you're doing in the video. Oh and by the way congratulations on the ceremony. Stay safe stay well and as always God bless.

Congrats to you and Mrs. TH as well.. Welcome back!! Thank you for the great videos!! Glad all is well in TH World. Hope to see your invention go to production!! I'll buy 3!!

Your tech videos are always so on point man. You have excellent delivery

Hi Luke! Nice to see you again. Congrats on your marriage sir. As you thanked Cindys-sn95, I want to give you a heart felt thank you for all you have taught me. I recurved my MSD, reestablished my TDC, set my timing with the dial back light (thanks for the link on that), tuned my new 750 4160 Holley with the vacuum gauge. The 460 bbf is a monster now! Blessings to you and the wife, cheers from Motown.

Hey Luke. I want to thank you for this and all your vids. I recently found you and man, just in time! Im new at this and am currently trying to get a hotrodded 350 running right. Been a struggle so far, as im learning, but your content is helping. My car acts like timing is too advanced so Im about to go verify the rotor position and TDC. Maybe this time!..

Thanks Luke some of the simplest things are easily forgotten or overlooked finding true TDC is essential before any tune especially with fords interchangeability when it comes to water pumps and timing locations on specialty applications and putting a late model small block ford where its not supposed to be. Thanks again you are clear and to the point with your vids and i appreciate that keep up the great work.

Hey man, sorry I would have commented earlier to tell you congrats on getting married, but I was waiting till you made another video before I did so. I am happy for the both of you I hope that her truck that you both worked on together is still running well. God Bless the both of you and keep up the good work!

WELCOME BACK congratulations on your marriage and glad you are back you were missed

I really love the look this car. Thanks to share.

Welcome back luke, congrats as well, cannot wait to see your next vid.

Great video bro, looking forward to seeing the next one

Thank you for the VERY informative video! I have a 1971 Chevy C10 with a 350 (virtually stock with quadrajet). After restoration and rebuild on motor - ran just fine for about 2k miles. Go on it a few time and noticed a rough idle. Was using manifold vacuum for advance - turns our that diaphragm was shot. Replaced the distributor - now I have okay idle but engine surges and hesitates on acceleration. Runs good if I stay in the pedal - but if I drive it conservatively - problem is enhanced. Idles at 850 rpm in park, 550 in gear when just leaving my home to go to work. When I arrive at work (after engine is fully warmed) - idle is 1000 rpm but if I let it idle for a bit, seems to normalize. Vacuum leak on full warmup? Timing: 12 initial, 30 total. Right now advance is hooked to ported with 5 in at idle, 15 in at half throttle.

Glad to see you again .Great video as usual . Great info .Thanks and Congrats on getting married!👍👍😎

I'm helping a friend work on a recently purchased 77 El Camino that came with badly functioning FiTech EFI system. The fuel pump, filters, and fuel lines were not installed correctly. Kinked lines, incorrect pump and filter placement, bad grounds, wiring, etc. It's been interesting and educational, but all the while I keep telling my friend 'You know, a carburetor would be so much simpler'. He hasn't relented.. yet..

This is the information I needed. Thanks

This step is very very important learned that my pop 40 years ago , with 1967 oldsmobile 442

Thanks mate very informative keep up the great content

GREAT explanation, been MANY years since I used a timing light, and NEVER saw one with a dial/knob like that one, and don't understand the use & function of the knob

Congrats 🎊 Luke

Thank you for the advice. My engine had the wrong balancer and the mark was way off. Did your procedure and was able to get it dialed in

Thanks again for another informative video! Congratulations on your wedding by the way

Thank you so much for this video.

Hey luke hope all is going well and the married life is treating you good! I dont no what it is about that maverick but I love it! I have never been a fan of the crewcab muscle cars but I just really like that car for whatever reason! Well keep up the hard work man I enjoy the content and it's great for the younger generation so they can keep these classics going when we are stuck shitting the bed forgetting our names thinking its 1980 lol. Keep up the hard work buddy. Thanks

Thats a sweet build bro

Congrats Big Fella on the weddin (Australian accent) Good to see ya back!!!

Great info as always

Youre videos are great man!

Can't wait to hear that background 😍

I’m glad your back . Bring the fox body back love your videos

Really lovin the 4 door Maverick build! I've been looking for one for a long time to haul my two boys around in & no luck...only 2 doors seem to be the ones that didn't go to the crushers.

Congrats on your recent marriage, Luke. Your videos are so informative. Unfortunately, I needed them 40 years ago, when I could have used them. Still enjoy them, though.

Thanks for sharing

Another point I'd like to add in there, is that I have had more than a couple of times where the rubber on the Harmonic balancer will seperate or move slightly, and move your TDC mark.

Love the new headlights in the maverick Luke @ThunderHead289

My man. While u were gone i successfully fixed my brakes, timed my engine, tested for vacuum and adjusted my choke. Proud newbie here!

Love your videos. Thanks TH289

I agree on the timing. The vacuum advance was shot on my 57 Chevrolet 6 cylinder. Couldn't ever get to see the mark in the flywheel. Ran lousy with horrid gas mileage. New vac advance, points, and my OLD direct timing light made all the difference. Never touched the carb.

Very useful info. Thank you.

Well done!!!

Fortunately I read about this in "Circle Track" magazine before I found one. I had a heck of a time timing my 390 Mustang at the track. The next week in the shop my troubles continued. I used a piston stop to find TDC and I'll be damned! The timing marks on the harmonic balancer pully were WAY OUT. The rubber vibration dampener had failed and the outer ring had slipped a bunch. I bought a new harmonic dampener, and my timing problems were solved. If using a stock harmonic balancer pully beware! The outer ring can and sometimes does slip and move on the inner ring. You won't be able to properly time your engine, and you can end up with the outer ring through the radiator!

Thats some good info.

Hi Luke congratulations of getting married it looks to be a nice wedding in the picture I saw a month ago you and Kevin crack me up you guys are so funny

Thank you bro

Good instructions

Good information on how to re mark your timing location the stops are nice 👌 @ThunderHead289

A method I used to find TDC was to plug my compression tester into #1 and replace the compression gauge with a vacuum gauge. Once I got in the vicinity of TDC I rocked the car back and forth in gear and observe when the needle went from positive to negative. An even more sensitive variation: I removed the vacuum gauge, attached a longer rubber tube and put the end in my mouth! I was able to detect precisely the midway point between the piston going up and down.

Congrats on the wedding!

Good advice..thanks..thunder head..i like the Galaxie..i have one too..its a fastback..Cheers 🍻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Hi Luke😎. Great channel 👍

One thing that can be helpful, at TDC crank keyway will be at 12:00. Of course balancer must be removed but good to know when replacing, often older balancer timing marks have shifted.

Piston stop.. Pretty smart. I always used screw driver and estimated it. Will have to convert

Thank you.

Thanks brother

Oh man, great tip! I'm going to check this to make sure my mark is correct cus I can't get smooth idle on my 429 for the life of me. This sure could explain things. I already this style of light, so all good there. Doing this first thing tomorrow.

The Maverick sure sounds much healthier than it did. No more “tappity-tap-tap” valvetrain.

good information here

Great video....im subscribed💯

When I was a young mechanic and that's been 43 years ago my boss always said 90% of carburetor problems is in the ignition system, and if you know your ignition system is correct than look at the carburetor!!!!!!!!

Congrats on your recent marriage. It was the best thing I did thirty years ago and thank you for another informative video.

Hey Luke. Congrats on the recent nuptials. As for using the Maverick as a winter beater, you'll be sorely disappointed if you get any snow what so ever. I had a '71 Maverick grabber with the 302 and C4 auto, limited slip rear, 60 series BF Goodrich T\A's, and it would get stuck in a flat parking lot with less than 2 inches of snow. It totally sucked. I loved that car, but I would put it away in the winter.

Thank you for an awesome video, what can i say apart from; > just in 'TIME' < 🙂please post more, love the content, take care , Bless 😇

Finally! Congratulations on getting married. I was devastated, LOL

hey luke good to see you back ... dude dont put this beauty in the snow man ,,baby girl need to be inside for the winter man

Super informs for a noob like me. Thanks

I was #334!!! I saved you from being half evil!!!

Hey Luke show us how to set up the choke, fast idle cam, and the lean/rich settings on a 2150

Hey how are you doing I'm a huge fan of your channel keep doing your thing yeah I just got a question can a bad ignition timing make your engine get stuck like it seized up because my 350 small block Chevy engine got a little stuck like it was seized up put it on free itself and it was back running again

Great Video, I am building a maverick now, i need this info, it helps me greatly Thanks

Thanx

I've got a 69 Mark III , 460... I just requested to join your FB group. I've got questions ! You would not BELIEVE how much authority a little vacuum device (vac advance) has over this engine. Vacuum everywhere on this thing !

Harmonic balancers usually come in two pieces with a thin rubber ring in between. It never occurred to me until I started over and not assumed the previous owner's behavior. The outside ring could be some degrees off from it's original position over time. Correct.

Good content! I checked to make sure my timing mark was at TDC on cylinder 1 and also tuned the carb and got a steady vacuum reading in park and 9 degrees of advance. As soon as I shift into drive my vacuum starts fluctuating, any ideas why?

Can't figure out why I have a job. No good to have the money if you don't have someone like thunderhead 289 to take care of your vehicles. Wish you were closer, I'd truck everything to you. Great video

Welcome back, Congratulations on getting married!!

The Facebook group is very helpful

Congrats! Always disconnect the battery when using a piston stop and rolling an engine over by hand.

Hello buddy ✌️🤘🤙✌️👍👌 good video buddy I hope all is well with you and your family luke.

Congratulations on getting Married Luke Brother And Welcome Back as well @Thunderhead289

What mufflers do you got on that car in the beginning of video sounds good

piston stops can cause bent valves. it can be good to know.some have learned it the hard way

Hi Luke I liked your video but I've always used the finger in the spark plug hole to get close and then use a small screwdriver and carefully turned the engine over by hand to see where tdc is. It maybe be easier to have a buddy tell you "go up a it or Stop go back a bit" to really get it close. I come from a long background of working in engine shops so checking tdc on the balancer is much easier before heads are installed.

a while ago, the rubber on the original harmonic balancer on my truck broke and the outer ring slid off-center on the pully and back into the motor. It sounded pretty horrendous as it machined about a 1/8 inch deep flat spot into the aluminum timing chain cover before I got it home and shut off. On the bright side , there is no bright side but I can pretend its fine now that its nice and thin down there.

Great

Hey Luke What is your take on MSD systems needing a special light? Of course a chinee msd unit without dial back...

Great content brotha! Fellow auto RU-vidr, I go to Iowa a lot around cb, once I get my 71 ford going it be cool to collab or something!