Images of timing marks

The crank pulley that comes with the kit is bigger than the pointers for the timing marks. I was clever about adding timing marks. Too clever it turned out.

Once I determined where TDC was on the pulley, and marked TDC for both cylinders 1 & 4 and cylinders 2 & 3, I tried to take a triangular file and file notches in the rim of the pulley every two degrees. The theory was that the notches would mark even degrees and the points would mark odd. I quickly determined that doing so accurately was beyond the ability of my skills and tools.

Rather than relying on the accuracy of an "advacing" timing light, I decided that it would be best to get marks all of the way around the pulley. I then purchased a degree wheel from the local parts store for about $30. I then modified the hole in the middle of the degree wheel so that it would fit over the mount for the crank seal and so that the original timing marks would hold it in position.

However, the marks on the degree wheel did not go all of the way back to the pulley, so I tried to be clever and attached a protractor to the degree wheel to use it's marks rather than having to extend the lines by hand.

In general, it is nice being able to time off any of the cylinders, so marking the pulley on both sides was a good thing. The degree wheel is basically really handy. Unfortunately, the plastic protractors do not hold up under even the heat at the front of the motor. The timing marks all the way around, don't help as they aren't visible once the motor is in place (unless you had a tranparant radiator), and the degree wheel I used ends up hitting the crossmember.