How to check timing on a /6 with engine in car. Options

[tornik550]

How do I check timing with a timing light on a /6. I know how to set the static timing however I want to check with a light. I have seen that some cut an acess panel in the firewall. I don't want to do that at this point. There isn't enough room to fit a timing light.

[rgalla9146]

First step is to pray you have a stock flywheel.
Second step is to loosen the dizzy clamp just enough that you can move it, but tight enough that it stays where you put it until you can tighten it with the engine off.
Third step is to wear a glove on your dizzy hand to avoid upsetting your pacemaker.
Wear a tight shirt.

[mskala]

First step is to pray you have a stock flywheel. ...

Not exactly, you need to have the proper flywheel for the _engine_ you put
in there. IIRC his is not a 914-6 engine. Not sure what markings are on the
flywheel, but even if they are present, it is a good idea to get one of those
appliance-white-paint-touchup bottles with the brush and mark them very
visibly. You will need TDC and whatever is spec for your engine; could be
35 degrees BTDC or 30 degrees BTDC for earlier motors, or 5 BTDC or 5 ATDC
for different later ones.

If there are no marks on the flywheel and the engine is already in the car, I
think it would be impossible to _accurately_ transfer from the pulley to the
flywheel without pulling the engine first.

[rgalla9146]

First step is to pray you have a stock flywheel. ...

Not exactly, you need to have the proper flywheel for the _engine_ you put
in there. IIRC his is not a 914-6 engine. Not sure what markings are on the
flywheel, but even if they are present, it is a good idea to get one of those
appliance-white-paint-touchup bottles with the brush and mark them very
visibly. You will need TDC and whatever is spec for your engine; could be
35 degrees BTDC or 30 degrees BTDC for earlier motors, or 5 BTDC or 5 ATDC
for different later ones.

If there are no marks on the flywheel and the engine is already in the car, I
think it would be impossible to _accurately_ transfer from the pulley to the
flywheel without pulling the engine first.

Not exactly...... leave the engine in the car.
You can make or buy a tool to find TDC.
Then use a timing light with advance feature to set the right timing for your application.
The tool you need is an adjustable piston stop that extends through the spark plug hole. It can be made by tapping the center of an empty spark plug and threading a long bolt through so that it can be extended or retracted as needed.
You rotate the engine in one direction until the piston touches the stop. Near TDC.
Then in the other direction until the piston again touches the stop.
Real TDC is the mid-point between those two stops. Exactly
No flywheel but an original 6 (or 906) is marked for timing.
Sorry for assuming you had a stock 6, many have replacement flywheels from 911s.
This method is also useful on any engine to verify true TDC on the pulley.