Watch when you pull the distributor to advance the tooth, you only want to andvance it one tooth and you want to keep it all properly aligned.  This is the mistake that I made that lead to a lot of problems (read my bad to worse thread).  The vacuum method is great, if you are using the port on the intake go out and get a nipple that can thread into the port and then fits the hose for the vacuum gauge on the other side.  This way the engine will start up really nice and already be hooked up to the gauge.  It should be fairly easy for you, I say this as a person who really messed it up but that was out of stupidity on my part.

good luck

Cbass

1958 F100 292

"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

"Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice."

-Henry Ford

so the best way to time it would be with a vacuum gauge then right i read that topic it seems pretty easy to do but iv never tried it im pretty sure i have to pull out the distributor cause i have almost no space to turn it due to the vacuum advance imma pull the distributor out turn it around and see if it works right now the truck seems to be running fine but i know for a fact that the time is off

FORD IS LIFE OIL N GAS IS MY BLOOD

Hi-  Hopefully you can get the timing set where it should be, but if you can't because the vacuum cannister hits the intake manifold, you may have to remove the distributor.  Then rotate the rotor and shaft slightly clockwise and re-install it.  It's possible that it was not installed with the shaft where it needs to be to give you enough room to rotate the body of the distributor clockwise to advance the timing as much as needed.  Hope this makes sense, and hope it helps.  Nick Brann, K.C., MO

The car balancer has 3 spokes. In the center of one of the spokes is 12 degrees. Mark all three if you like because your light will or should pick the one which is correct and 12 degrees is pretty standard for alot of these cars.




-Gary Burnette-

got this from a friend-

The lines may be faint because there is 30 coats of paint on the balance.

I might be tempted to take a scraper or wire brush to the side of th ebalance and get the paint off of it, then use a utility knife to get the paint out of the lines.

I would venture to say that the center of all the lines is where Top Dead Center (TDC) is. Perhaps your balance is just marked with a "C" for center.

But at both ends of th elines you should be able to find BDC and ADC for Before Dead Center and After Dead Center.

But here's how to check. Remove your #1 spark plug. Put your thumb over the spark plug hole and turn the balance in the engine rotaing direction until you feel compression on your thumb. Then and drop a 1/4 inch dowel at least 2 feet long down in the spark plug hole. Turn the balance with a socket and breraker bar until the dowel starts to move up then turn slowly and watch for the dowel to stop. When it does, you are at Top Dead Center, and the center of the lines on the balance should be aligned with the marker. Cahnces are good that each line represents an offset of 1 degree. So, if you need to time to 5 degrees before top dead center, mark the 5th line AHEAD of the marker in direction of travel with a THIN line of white paint. That should be what you want to time to.

But now that I've told you that, I'll tell you to forget it.

Time your truck with a vacuum gauge to the proceedure she outlines in this link:

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/84...e-trouble.html

It will be much more accurate, once you get the timing set with the vacuum gauge, paint a line on the balance over the correct scribed line for quick timing next time with the timing light time time.


1958 F100 292

"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

"Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice."

-Henry Ford

ok guys i have a 272 and iv been trying to do the timing on it the balancer dosent have the marks for the timing gun and everything i move the distributor counter clockwise it starts to die on i cant turn it counter clockwise cause the manifold and the vacuum advance hits what can i do to make sure i have it tuned up well

FORD IS LIFE OIL N GAS IS MY BLOOD