Static timing question Options

[ricardo]

I'm trying to set the initial timing on my car prior to setting dwell and adjust using strobe light.
What is the easiest way to turn the engine over to static time everything?

[iankarr]

What type of motor do you have? Also...FI or carbs?

Here's what I do on my carbed 2.0...

Assuming you've got a normal firing setup, use the 5th gear trick to line up the notch on the flywheel with the case split. You may have to push the rear tin back a bit to see it. This should hopefully mean your #1 piston is at TDC. I like to use the flywheel instead of the fan mark because it's more reliable. After all these years, a lot of fans have multiple notches.

Then use a sharpie to mark the body of the distributor just under the terminal for the #1 spark plug wire. Remove the cap. If the rotor is pointing to that mark, congratulations...you should be at or close to 0 degrees. If it's close, loosen the large adjustment nut and rotate the distributor so the rotor lines up. If it's way off, your dizzy may need to be rotated by a tooth. That's a longer answer. Just let us know.

Once the rotor is pointing to he mark, rotate the distributor counter clockwise about 10 degrees and try starting the engine. You may need to move it a few degrees more to get it to catch. It's helpful to have a friend turning the key while you adjust the dizzy.

Good luck!