strange timing on 351C

[belgiumbarry]

hooked up my timing lite on the "new" Pantera 351C and found something strange... perhaps you can help/explain it for me.... ? Has a Unilite distributor , no vacuum.

If i put it to 36 ° max the car was exhaust exploding once above 4000 rpm....
If i go 6 ° more the car runs perfect....

Now there's a painted stripe on the 6° mark as to show something by a former owner/mechanic....???

Can the balancer be another type with wrong degrees marking ? ( 6° less )
Found in the papers a mention of a Comp cam ... can a "race " cam demand 36 + 6 = 42° advance ????

Perhaps a "wrong" ?? fix pointer ???

Anyone has a idea ? can ofcourse check piston 1 top .....

[Gaz64]

Find true TDC and see if your balancer and timing tab lines up at Zero.

Possibly the inertia ring has shifted.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Gaz64

Possibly the inertia ring has shifted.

Yep, they do shift. Mine shifted right off the darn ring itself.

[belgiumbarry]

thanks gentlemen ! didn't tought at that possibility .......explains the white paintstripe... someone before me in ownership will have had to find TDC and marked it that way . Hope the balancer stays that way and doesn't go like patrickt his....not sure now, but quite possible we have to pull the engine for a replacement..... as i remember there's just enough clearence between balancer and firewall to place a new belt...even had to pull a little bit to get the belt wide between ! Ok, perhaps just lifting the engine a bit so the balancer comes more compleet in front of the service port in the firewall....

Great site , found you guys very tech talking with knowledge...
Sorry i'm here with a Pantera.... but share one of your engines

[Gaz64]

Wise to paint a stripe across the inner hub/rubber/outer hub on your new balancer before you replace it.

Then you can monitor the ring status in relation to the inner hub.

[belgiumbarry]

Originally Posted by Gaz64

Wise to paint a stripe across the inner hub/rubber/outer hub on your new balancer before you replace it.

Then you can monitor the ring status in relation to the inner hub.

Great idea ! i have also a service hole in the bellhousing ... which is directly visible for timing light check....gonne paint there on the clutchplate a stripe at TDC.
For the balancer i have to remove the firewall lining ( belts and some screws , audio cables... ) and behind that a door with some bolts... lucky it can be done with the seats canted and most to front position....

[Barnsnake]

Simply sticking something in the spark plug hole is not nearly accurate enough for establishing a timing mark. You need to get a piston stop and insert it into #1 spark plug hole. Adjust it so the the piston comes up against it at 30-40 degrees BTDC, then lock the setting. Make a temporary mark on the damper at the timing pointer. Manually rotate the engine backwards until the piston again hits the stop. Make another mark at that point. Carefully measure the distance between the two marks and make another mark exactly half way between them. That is true TDC for your timing pointer.

You can use exactly the same process to use a home-made timing pointer if the factory one is inconveniently located. Some stiff wire under a bolt head and then bent into a pointer works nicely. Once you get a true TDC for the new pointer, install a timing tape on the damper to get a full timing grid.