101 Timing Question

[AutoInsane]

SO.... I am doing a bit of work on my 74 Jeep CJ5 Renegade with an AMC 304 V8. I am installing a new timing chain cover, water pump & alternator. I am also upgrading the distributor with a Pertronics Ignitor II.

Question for y'all....

When I get the timing chain cover off I think the best thing to do will be to set the timing chain to TDC. To do this I am assuming I match up the timing marks and make sure the #1 cylinder is at the top.. ?? Then, when I re-install the distributor how do I make sure that it is installed to correlate with the timing being set to TDC?

Any other thoughts, tips or suggestions are welcomed!!!!

Thanks gents!!

[HawkX66]

I'm not up on AMC, but if it's like a Chevy... TDC on the compression stroke is important, not just TDC. Dot to dot on the timing gears. Drop the distributor in and get the rotor pointed in the right area so you can match up the plug wires starting with #1. Chevy "should be" at about 1:00 if you are looking straight down at the rotor. It doesn't "really" matter as long as you have the rotor starting at #1 plug wire and the rest are in the correct order. I don't know the firing order of an AMC, but Chevy is 18436572. So you would start installing wires with #1 and go clockwise in order.
There's a million threads that get into more details out there if you google it. I'm sure you'd find something addressing AMC specifically. Good luck.

[AutoInsane]

Hawk.. thank you for the reply!!!

So take out the #1 spark plug and make sure with a finger over the hole that there is pressure? I will then use a dowel in the hole to determine the exact TDC compression stroke.

I take it that on the distributor you just need to make sure when you have the timing dots set to TDC compression the rotor need to be pointed to the #1 plug position on the cap.. ? And, of course, the plug wires are in proper order on the cap [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/wink.gif[/img]

[HawkX66]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AutoInsane</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hawk.. thank you for the reply!!!

So take out the #1 spark plug and make sure with a finger over the hole that there is pressure? I will then use a dowel in the hole to determine the exact TDC compression stroke.

I take it that on the distributor you just need to make sure when you have the timing dots set to TDC compression the rotor need to be pointed to the #1 plug position on the cap.. ? And, of course, the plug wires are in proper order on the cap [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/wink.gif[/img]


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You're welcome. Sounds like you've got it. Just be real careful with the dowel in the cylinder.

[njsteve]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AutoInsane</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hawk.. thank you for the reply!!!

So take out the #1 spark plug and make sure with a finger over the hole that there is pressure? I will then use a dowel in the hole to determine the exact TDC compression stroke.

I take it that on the distributor you just need to make sure when you have the timing dots set to TDC compression the rotor need to be pointed to the #1 plug position on the cap.. ? And, of course, the plug wires are in proper order on the cap [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/wink.gif[/img]


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If it is dot to dot (crank gear dot at 12 o'clock and timing gear at 6 o'clock) then you would be at the #6 compression stroke/#1 exhaust stroke. (on a 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 firing order)

If it is both dots at the 12 oclock positions, then you are at #1 compression/#6 exhaust stroke and can put the distributor's roter just before the #1 terminal position under the dist cap.

[AutoInsane]

A thin round spring was on the end shaft off of the crank when I removed the timing cover. Something to do with the main seal?

Also the flat disk on that shaft by the timing gear .... Does the curved edge go toward the engine side??

Another website mentioned caution about burning out the main seal. Any special prep or lubrication I needed to do when I put the timing cover on?

I know that the oil pump gears needs to be packed with Vaseline ... Any other considerations?

Any tricks to taking off the timing chain?

Thanks!!!

[njsteve]

Does this help? I got the photo from the interweb. It's a 390 though.

Do you mean the washer behind the timing gear bolt? That goes on with the bowl side toward the engine so it acts like a lock washer.

The thin round spring? I think you mean the oil slinger. It deflects the oil from trying to leak out the timing cover seal.

Make sure you grease up the timing cover seal (wheel bearing grease is fine) so it does not burn up without lubrication when you start the engine back up.