Update; this one [Elgin] should be no.6 TDC. What a drama...Had a few probs with things like getting the balancer back on. I could only do it when putting the front engine mount on at the same time. Getting that mount on was a pain in the arse wasted an afternoon only to discover that I couldn't get the balancer and pulleys on.. I am thankfull I went to the effort of taking the sump of as well. It was so full of crap and the gauze filter was blocked solid, I managed to clean it out. Anyway she fired first go and runs sweet and sparky now.



"Came too close to dying to stop living now!"

Craig.  Not a problem as if John and I hadn’t corrected the mistake, others would have.  And it gave me an excuse to actually post a ‘correct’ picture of the timing chain setup of what it looks like when being ‘timed’.  That blooper in the Eichman’s Ford Y-Block book has been a thorn in the side for everyone that has used that book as their only reference.

 

And Marv brings up a good point.  Some brands of timing sets for the Y align the links with the #1 cylinder on the compression stroke while other sets will have #6 on the compression stroke.  This occurs on other brands of engines also so it’s not just a Y-Block nuance.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Im glad you said that as that is what I would have done...



"Came too close to dying to stop living now!"

The gears have a dot or a small "o" only one side of the gears. The side with the dot is the side to be installed facing you or you will not be able to count the 12 pins between the marks.



I usually set the gears up on the bench then carry it to the engine and slip on the shafts. Checking afterward that it still is 12 pins between the teeth. If you use Ted's picture as a guide it will be not difficult and as others have said watch the location of the spacers and the chamfer on the spacers as they are installed a certain way.



marv

Thanks for that info, I understand, yet if both gears are on a "key" and can't be positioned any other way surely the chain and everything would "just fit together" regardless of markers. Can the gears be turned around back to front? Im hoping for a take one off - put one back on situation..haha    I wont be taking the dissy out so hopefully no extra confusion.



"Came too close to dying to stop living now!"

Elgin sets are or were good quality when I used them. They are not in the same league as the Australian index-able sets however with stock valve springs and not running high RPMs the Elgin set should be fine.



When you remove your old camshaft gear check its keyway position to the timing dot as to your new camshaft gear keyway position to timing dot.



If the camshaft keyway is 180 degrees different from your old camshaft gear your distributor timing will also be 180 degrees out unless you pull your distributor to re-time to # 1 cylinder.



Just wanted to make you aware of this when trying to start the car after a timing set change and only get backfires and a no-run condition one begins to doubts ones work when the engine ran previous and the only thing you changed was the timing set (or think you changed).



marv

I have a standard Elgin timing set on the way so hopefully straight forward then...

mmmm I have a hump on my back so I can walk straight in the world...



"Came too close to dying to stop living now!"

The position of the camshaft keyway at 7 o'clock in Ted's picture the #1 piston will be TDC and the valve timing will be both valves fully closed and #6 cylinder at TDC also with the valves in the overlap position (one opening, the other closing). You could drop your distributor in the block setting the rotor to #1 spark plug and ignition timing would be correct if the camshaft keyway is same as Ted's picture.



Some of the other timing gear sets on the market today have the camshaft keyway a the 1 o'clock position. That particular gear setup with the 12 pins between in same orientation as Ted's picture would be TDC for #6 cylinder with both valves closed and #1 cylinder at TDC with the valves in overlap position. If you were to install the distributor you would have to face the rotor to #6 plug wire or you would be 180 deg out on the firing order.



Just a thing to watch for if rebuilding an engine or changing a timing set out with the distributor still in place.



marv

  Hi Ted, I don't know what I was thinking about when I said the left side of the engine as you stand from the front I really meant the right. I don't know my right from my left I guess. I apoligize for my blantant mistake. Hope John F. will accept my apology also. I just love the forum and thank you both for finding my mistake!!

                                                                             Fordially, Craig Seyfried

They might pull off pretty easily. If not, use some big screw drivers and carefully pry them off. Keep track of the order in which the camshaft hardware is removed. There are washers, and spacers that need to go back on in the same order.


Lawrenceville, GA