Flathead timing

ole_Bill

ole_Bill

Member
My first flathead - rebuilt with 6+ electronic ignition installed directly from the maker with no timing adjustments made on installation. How do I tell if the timing is correct?
 
If your talking about the distributor in your Avatar, the timing would be set when the ignition was installed into your distributor and set up on a distributor machine. Can't be sure looking at your avatar, but it Looks like you have 59ab or earlier block, so you have no pointer for TDC. If you want to check it, drive it. It should just begin to ping slightly under heavy load. Or, time for max vacuum at idle.
 
If you have the '42 distributor shown, Ford's field expedient method requires only a couple of rulers and a bit of fumbling and cursing. It was published by Ford in the '46 service book, and a version of it is in the tuneup section of Mac Van Pelt's site...it is an entirely workable and Ford approved method for those lacking fancy machinery.
The early helmet types can also be timed by ruler...Ford published the needed information in a patent for a timing fixture that was to have been welded to the car's firewall (!) in about 1934...I posted the dimensins needed to do this with a ruler on here a while back.
 
If your distributor is aftermarket and has slots for mounting, rather than holes you really need to determine TDC and a set of timing marks. Other than that, it's just a guess.
 
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