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Is it possble to be 180 degrees off timing???

16K views 16 replies 5 participants last post by  umfan92 
#1 ·
I have a 1985 mustang and I think the timing may be off at least 90 degrees if it's possible. When I use the timing light, the number aren't there, but instead under the water pump. I have a new harmonic balancer; could it be that it was installed wrong, in the wrong position?
 
#3 ·
How can I correct it? I made sure the #1 piston was in compression but taking out the spark plug and putting my thumb in the hole and having someone crank for a second and right when it was in compression I put the rotor to number 1. What do I do? Could it be the harmonic balancer?
 
#5 ·
If you are 180 off on the timing, the engine will only backfire when you attempt to start it. If its running, then its not 180 off. Isn't the Harmonic Balancer keyed so as to make installing it wrong impossible? Are you sure your timing light is being triggered on the correct cylinder? Does the light have a timing adjustment knob on it which may be "adjusted".
 
#8 ·
If you are 180 off on the timing, the engine will only backfire when you attempt to start it. If its running, then its not 180 off. Isn't the Harmonic Balancer keyed so as to make installing it wrong impossible? Are you sure your timing light is being triggered on the correct cylinder? Does the light have a timing adjustment knob on it which may be "adjusted".
No I have the cheaper induction timing light, not the digital one, but shouldn't it work fine for this application? Maybe you're right. I don't know but something isn't right.
 
#6 ·
So the harmonic balancer can only go in one way? I wouldn't really know, I didn't install it. ok so then it has to be the distributor. In that case, I have no idea how to fix it. It runs. If I move the distributor while it's running a little to the left, it almost shuts off, and the same thing happens for the right. So the only thing it could be is that it has to be really far off.
 
G
#12 ·
It's one of those situations where its kinda hard to fix fromthe other end, make sure your # 1 is at TDC on the compression stroke and the cylinder #1 is the front left cylinder looking at the engine, pull the cap off and see if the rotor is pointing to the #1 terminal on the cap. If not try and lift the distributor out and move the distributor gear to the next tooth and set it back down. you might be a tooth out.
 
#15 ·
I have already tried everything but the harmonic balancer is still off. I already set the engine to compression for the number 1 cylinder and set the rotor to number 1. When I do that, the numbers on the harmonic balancer end up under the water pump, way too far to be even close. If I move the distributor while it's running, the car will almost shut off when I move it in either direction. What the heck is going on?
 
#16 ·
Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's no such thing as being "1 tooth off." If you put the dizzy in "a tooth off" then you move the dizzy to compensate. All moving one tooth in either direction does is give you more play room when adjusting your timing.
 
#17 ·
Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's no such thing as being "1 tooth off." If you put the dizzy in "a tooth off" then you move the dizzy to compensate. All moving one tooth in either direction does is give you more play room when adjusting your timing.
Yeah I know. I don't need to move one tooth anywhere because when I move the distributor in either direction it starts to shut off. But let's say you were timing your car and the distributor couldn't move anymore in a certain direction, that's when you would move the rotor a tooth in the direction so that you could compensate. But anyways, I don't need to do that since I can't move my distributor in either direction without it shutting off, but somehow the timing is still off.
 
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