Rookie timing question...

[Oxblood]

How do I time with this style timing cover?

Crappy cell phone pic but I think you can see it.


I tried pulling the pointer off my 1972 302 engine but I couldn't bolt it on because the casting was different.

Thanks,
Oxblood

[fordman]

i can tell that eninge is a 302 or a 351w. by lookign at the motors moutns. maybe that cover is off a late rmodel enigne. and has a different timing pionter. the one on my 94 5.0 is different than any early small block covers i have seen before.

[fordman]

to add to that. the casting number on the timing cover is probably behind the water pump. that numebr woudl tell you what timing pointer to use.

[Oxblood]

It's a 302/C4 outta of a van the PO put in, the trans is a 74 so I'm thinking the engine is also. I think the easiest answer might be to pull the timing cover/pointer/harmonic balancer from my 72 302 and put em on, any opinions? I think the timing cover is leaking anyways so maybe I'll get a new timing set and make it a project...

[fordman]

is it possible the pointer is on top on the drivers side maybe? since the enigne came out of a van? if nto im sure you could do that swap and it should work.

[Oxblood]

Can't find anything on the driverside. I'll turn it over to tdc and see where the scale is to locate the general area the pointer should be

[cdeal28078]

Can you get a picture from the top on each side? Where is the oil dip stick located? Is it a mechanical fuel filter? That might help also.
I think there are at least 2 maybe 3 different set ups on the 302/5.0 engines as far as the timing set up goes.
Clint

[Oxblood]

Theres a bunch of stuff in the way from the top: alternator on passenger side, water pump outlet/ mechanical fuel pump on driver. The oil dip stick is on the driver side between the rear two cylinders. I rebuilt the carb (Holley 4160) twice but its backfiring no matter what I do so I would like to get this thing timed right.

[cdeal28078]

So that is a later engine probably mid 80's I would think. Somebody put an early timing cover on it for the fuel pump opening and left the dipstick on the side of the engine. There might not even be a timing marker on the timing cover just depends on what they did. Even if it has a marker did they use the right balancer that would line up with the marker. I think we are going to need either some part numbers for the number guru's or some pictures for people like me that don't know the numbers.
I doubt you have a 71 302 in the truck. More than likely a mid 80's. If you look just above the starter from underneath you will find some letters and numbers. They will give us a better idea of the year engine you have
clint