Timing Light Noob

[btoran]

Want to check timing so went through Brad's guide, bought a timing light and got stuck removing the timing belt cover. How do you get this thing off? I removed a bolt from the top left, one from the bottom right and a nut toward the top right but can't slip the cover over threaded stud on the top right. What else needs to be removed to get this thing off? Thanks.

[marinewithafiat]

The water pump pulley needs to come off. I think you need to remove the alternator too if it's on the passenger side. There are two bolts behind the water pulley. One at the very bottom of the shield too. Taking off the water pulley is a pain unless you have a chain wrench.

[aj81spider]

Why are you removing the cover? Isn't the timing mark on the cover? It is on mine.

[btoran]

why am i trying to rmeove the cover? excellent question. car hasn't been running well. took it to a shop to sort it out and the idle is better, but power is off. feels like the car is dragging aorund 1,000 extra pounds. finally decided to set things myself and i coudln't see a timing mark on the belt cover. if there is one, that would be great. can you post a picture of yours or tell me where the mark is located?

if the timing is off, i'm assuming i need to rotate the distributor one way or the other to bring it back to spec, which is my next challenge. the base of the distributor is not round and there isn;t any obvious way to turn it. will post pictures tonight of the timing belt cover and distributor.

[aj81spider]

There should be three lines raised from the cover, about a half inch long, down at the bottom of the cover by the crankshaft pulley. Those are the timing marks. One is 0 degrees, on is 5, and one is 10 (I'd have to look up which is which and I'm at work - but I think the long one is 0 - if anyone corrects me believe them).

The distributor is held down by a clamp which needs to be loosened to rotate it.

If you have trouble finding the marks let me know and I'll take pictures when I get home from work tonight.

[RoyBatty]

Look down near the bottom of your timing belt cover, right at the outer diameter of your crankshaft pulley.
At about the 2 o clock position you should see three long marks that are cast into the cover.
The bottom mark is 0 degrees, the middle is 5 degrees and the top is 10 degrees BTDC.
Finding these marks shouldn't be a problem.
What can be a challenge though, is locating the mark on the pulley.
Take the time to paint the mark on the pulley white once you locate it.

[btoran]

will check when i get home tonight. thanks much for the help.

[phaetn]

Here's a quick vid I made a while back to check timing, if it helps:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1974_fiat ... ed-public/

Note that my strobe lights double time as the CompuTronix distributorless ingition I have is a waste spark system, meaning it fires on every upstroke, not just the compression stroke.

Also, here's a pick of the crank pulley where I painted the TDC mark fluorescent to be able to see it better. In my case the electronic igntion has a fixed advance, so I also marked 35° BTDC to be able to verify it at 3200+ RPM.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1974_fiat ... ed-public/

I found it easiest to see the pulley in order to paint it from under the car and I printed an online degree wheel to match up to the pulley to make the mark.

You might have to wipe oil off the bottom of the timing belt cover, but there should be three distinct marks if it's an earlier model car. Alternatively, there might be a metal bracket viewed from on the passenger side that also has three distinct points.

Cheers,
phaetn

[btoran]

phaetn - thanks much. the picture / video help a lot.

[toplessexpat]

Pretty clear diagram on this thread:

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8556

[btoran]

excellent. thanks.