timing a 31 chrysler 6

new here, my boy and I have acquired a 1931 Chrysler 4 door sedan and would like to check the timing but don't know how. any help would be great

thanks Jay D

Welcome to the forum. If your Chrysler is the CM6, I have a DH6 Dodge Brothers that I believe is the same as the CM6 Chrysler. Here you go. Click on the image a few times to enlarge. We would LOVE to see some photos of your Chrysler!

thanks that should do it I'm having trouble getting pictures up ( to big ) it for sale and on eBay right now we are almost neighbors i'm in Coos Bay

Jay D

thanks that should do it I'm having trouble getting pictures up ( to big ) it for sale and on eBay right now we are almost neighbors i'm in Coos Bay

Jay D

Is that the green one on Ebay?

yes that's the one its really quite a nice car

on this timing thing, to get no. 6 on tdc on the exhaust stroke I will need to get no. 1 at tdc on the compression stroke. i'm I correct ? I don't know any other way to find the exhaust stroke.

thanks Jay D

yes that's the one its really quite a nice car

on this timing thing, to get no. 6 on tdc on the exhaust stroke I will need to get no. 1 at tdc on the compression stroke. i'm I correct ? I don't know any other way to find the exhaust stroke.

thanks Jay D

Correct, no. 1 at TDC compression; remove no. 1 plug, stick your finger over the plug hole, feel the pressure buildup as you manually turn the engine over and watch the - a. timing pointer as it comes towards TDC, or - b. the distributor rotor moving towards no. 1 plug lead on the distributor cap.

Newer flathead Chrysler products have a pipe plug in the head over the #6 cylinder. You can remove the plug, drop a small screwdriver down the hole and tell when you reach TDC as you turn the engine over (slowly by hand).

If your car has this feature you will find a small pipe plug in the head. Over the #6 cylinder.

Newer flathead Chrysler products have a pipe plug in the head over the #6 cylinder. You can remove the plug, drop a small screwdriver down the hole and tell when you reach TDC as you turn the engine over (slowly by hand).

If your car has this feature you will find a small pipe plug in the head. Over the #6 cylinder.

That is what the instruction book page says.

so were is this timing pointer that hcris is talking about

thanks Jay D

I also have a '31 Chrysler 4 dr sedan, model 70, 6 cyl. My distributor has a flat cap with the plug wires exiting from the sides around the perimeter of the cap, not from the top as most are designed. If you have the same type, it likely has dual points so adjusting the timing is a little more complicated than with a single set of points. This thread is over a week old so you may have found how to set the timing already, but if you have not, I can walk you through the process. Meanwhile, if you have not yet removed the brass plug over No 6 cyl, soak it for a few days with penetrating oil so you can get it out. I ovaled the head of mine and had a hard time getting it out...............Glen

Here is a trick for removing square head pipe plugs and for the square adjusters used on some Bendix and Renault brakes.

Take a socket wrench extension and turn it around. Push the square into the square hole. Use an 8 point or 12 point socket on the other end so you can put a ratchet handle on it.

Or, just use the socket and ratchet.

so were is this timing pointer that hcris is talking about

thanks Jay D

At the front of the engine, on the lower (crankshaft) pulley there are graduation marks and a TDC mark (often difficult to see if there is an accumulation of crud on the pulley) inscribed into its outer circumference, a half inch or so above it is a pointer which is located on the timing gear cover.

The idea is to turn the engine over on the compression stroke until the lower pulley TDC mark and the pointer are aligned, this is the stage at which #1 piston and the distributor are positioned to fire; I would add that this is an ideal position, generally it is only a starting point to get the engine running and then depending on a whole heap of variables - engine age, fuel grade etc. road testing will determine if you need to make further adjustments.

ps - noting that your car is 1931 it may be that the timing marks are on the flywheel rather than the front pulley, these marks are visible by removing a small viewing cover on the front face of the flywheel housing just above the starter motor; again it is a matter of turning the engine over until a TDC mark aligns with a pointer under the viewing cover.

At the front of the engine, on the lower (crankshaft) pulley there are graduation marks and a TDC mark (often difficult to see if there is an accumulation of crud on the pulley) inscribed into its outer circumference, a half inch or so above it is a pointer which is located on the timing gear cover.

The idea is to turn the engine over on the compression stroke until the lower pulley TDC mark and the pointer are aligned, this is the stage at which #1 piston and the distributor are positioned to fire; I would add that this is an ideal position, generally it is only a starting point to get the engine running and then depending on a whole heap of variables - engine age, fuel grade etc. road testing will determine if you need to make further adjustments.

ps - noting that your car is 1931 it may be that the timing marks are on the flywheel rather than the front pulley, these marks are visible by removing a small viewing cover on the front face of the flywheel housing just above the starter motor; again it is a matter of turning the engine over until a TDC mark aligns with a pointer under the viewing cover.

There are no crank pulley marks on the '31 Chrysler 6 nor is there any pointer mounted on the engine. TDC for this engine is found by removing the small brass plug on the top of the head directly over the top of the No. 6 cylinder. The extended bottom of a vernier caliper can be placed into this hole while the engine is turned by hand (easy with the plugs removed and turning the fan blade) and reading the dial to show when the piston is at its highest point. If a caliper is not available, then a screwdriver inserted into this hole and slowly turning the engine over by hand will push the screwdriver up until you see its maximum height which would be TDC on No 6. At this point, No 1 cyl will also be at TDC but you need to have No 1 on its compression stroke. Air pressure coming out of No 1 while turning over the engine will show it is on the compression stroke instead of its exhaust stroke. After setting the gap on the two sets of points for this engine, the dual points must be synchronized with each other. The front points control cyl 4,5,6 and the rear points control cyl 1,2,3. The firing sequence is 1,5,3,6,2,4. To be properly synchronized, both sets of points need to open at exactly the same time with respect to the TDC position of the cylinder it fires. The front points are fixed (except for the gap adjustment) but the rears have an adjustable base which allows them to be synchronized with the front points. Before setting the timing, the distributor cam should be rotated counter to the rotation of the distributor shaft in order to remove any backlash present in the distributor and the spark adjusting knob on the dash should be set in the retarded position.

I agree this is supposed to be the ideal timing but in reality, some tweeking may be needed. This can be done by loosening the distributor set screw and turning the distributor slightly to find the best running "sweet spot" for your particular engine..................Glen

Thankyou Glen you are indeed correct regarding the procedure for the 1931 77 Series with dual points.

Unfortunately our original poster does not specify which Chrysler 6 he has; as well as the 77 there are the carry over 66 and 70 Series, CJ and new CM models, all with 6 cylinder engines equipped with single contact distributors, so perhaps we need to establish which model is relevant to this discussion before going any further.

As to timing marks just when did they appear on the pulley and timing gear cover ? I know they are there from 1933 onwards - anybody ??

Hello badsix, If that is the car I saw on greedbay I have some door window mechanisms that should fit it. We are just up near the Portland area, and I am originally from Coquille. OR We have a 28 model 72 coupe and a 28 model 72 town sedan as a parts car.