Questions About Setting Timing on '41 Chrysler

I was finishing a tune-up on my Saratoga (straight 8), and it's not quite clicking with me on how to properly set the timing. The manual says that timing should be set at TDC. My problem is that there are no marks that I can see on the flywheel. I took a couple pictures (second one is a little fuzzy) below.

Is this something I have to mark myself? Not sure how to proceed, so any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Dave

The marks are there-very lightly stamped on the 1" wide damper. Use sand paper and keep sanding till you find the marks!

I'm going to have to get better glasses. I'll scrub it a little more with steel wool and sand paper and see what appears. Anyone have a picture of what I should be looking for?

Thanks, Bob!

Here ya go.... had to dig one up and clean it off!

You can set the timimg, get pretty close at least, by removing the # 1 cylinder spark plug (or all 8 to make turning the engine over by hand easier), then put your thumb over the # 1 cylinder hole while turning the engine over by hand . You will feel the pressure from the piston pushing your thumb out of the hole. That means you are at or near the top of the compression stroke for # 1. If you want you can put a straw into the spark plug hole and watch it to see when it reaches the highest point while slowly rotating the engine. Now trace the # 1 spark plug wire to the cap and mark its location on the distributor body. Remove the cap. The rotor "blade" should line up, or be close, to the mark you made. It can be adjusted by loosening the distributor hold down clamp and turning the distributor body to line up your mark with the rotor. Replace cap and plugs and start the car. Now you can use a timing light to see if the marks on the crank pulley line up. Adjustments can be made by rotating the distributor body again.

Sometimes, if the engine has been worked on, the crank pulley may have been removed and put back on without regard as to where the timing marks should be. If that happened then the marks will not line up unless the pulley is removed and reinstalled properly. But "static" timing, mentioned above, does not require the use of the timing marks.

Hope this helps.

Joe

You can set the timimg, get pretty close at least, by removing the # 1 cylinder spark plug (or all 8 to make turning the engine over by hand easier), then put your thumb over the # 1 cylinder hole while turning the engine over by hand . You will feel the pressure from the piston pushing your thumb out of the hole. That means you are at or near the top of the compression stroke for # 1. If you want you can put a straw into the spark plug hole and watch it to see when it reaches the highest point while slowly rotating the engine. Now trace the # 1 spark plug wire to the cap and mark its location on the distributor body. Remove the cap. The rotor "blade" should line up, or be close, to the mark you made. It can be adjusted by loosening the distributor hold down clamp and turning the distributor body to line up your mark with the rotor. Replace cap and plugs and start the car. Now you can use a timing light to see if the marks on the crank pulley line up. Adjustments can be made by rotating the distributor body again.

Sometimes, if the engine has been worked on, the crank pulley may have been removed and put back on without regard as to where the timing marks should be. If that happened then the marks will not line up unless the pulley is removed and reinstalled properly. But "static" timing, mentioned above, does not require the use of the timing marks.

Hope this helps.

Joe

Straw in the hole wont work, these are side valve engines and the spark plug is located over the valves not the piston. Like the sixes there is a threaded plug over the piston at #8, removing the plug allows you to insert a rod or wire, watch it rise to its maximum height as you bring #8 piston up to TDC, this will be on the exhaust stroke at the same time as #1 rises to TDC on compression stroke. When you achieve this then make a mark on the pulley and timing case so you don't ever have to do it again.

Bob, thanks so much for digging that out and snapping a picture. Those are definitely the marks I was expecting to see - I'm going to have to get in there closer because I don't see a trace of those markings. I'll give it a good sanding today and see if they appear. Really appreciate it!

Joe, the timing is pretty close as it is - there is a plate at the base of the distributor that can be loosened for a major adjustment, and a screw on that plate to loosen the distributor for minor adjustments. The distributor was already set as far as it could go CC, and the car was running pretty well. It just puzzled me that I couldn't see the marks with the timing light.

Actually, as a second question - for the eights, there are two possible timing settings. TDC for steel pistons and 3 degrees BTDC for aluminum (?). Anyone have any more information on that, and which models have the aluminum?

Thanks!

Dave

Sometimes the best way to time an engine is to hook up a vacuum gauge and rotate the distributor while idling until you reach the most vacuum.

Success! Finally got in there with a strong light and sanded down the damper until the marks started to emerge. I marked TDC with a dab of white paint and was able to set the timing. I know its been a while since I did this, but I don't remember timing marks being so subtle (or maybe my eyes are 30 years older).

Timing was about 5 degrees advances, and I couldn't rotate the distributor any more with the minor adjustment, so I loosened the collar to give myself a bit more play.

Big difference in the responsiveness of the car. Couldn't be happier! Thanks everyone - especially Bob. Couldn't have found those marks without that picture!

Dave