TDC - once more with feeling..... |
|
Porsche, and the Porsche crest are registered trademarks of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.
This site is not affiliated with Porsche in any way. Its only purpose is to provide an online forum for car enthusiasts. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. |
|
TDC - once more with feeling..... |
Tdskip |
Oct 10 2020, 07:00 AM
Post
#1
|
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,686 Joined: 1-December 17 From: soCal Member No.: 21,666 Region Association: None |
If your flywheel marks are missing / impossible to see then;
#1 both valves closed with rockers slack? Pull # sparkplug and make sure piston at top of travel Distributor rotor pointing at notch Vacuum assembly on distributor over the hold down nut Not my car, but like this, yes? Look like the right check list? Thanks! |
Superhawk996 |
Oct 10 2020, 07:54 AM
Post
#2
|
914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,825 Joined: 25-August 18 From: Woods of N. Idaho Member No.: 22,428 Region Association: Galt's Gulch |
Last thing in the world I'd rely on is the distributor postion. Too many variables affect it.
The time proven method is pull spark plug, measure piston travel, and note when it is dwelling at the top of travel & then verify the intake and exhaust valve positions are both closed. There are a number of handy TDC tools availabe too ranging from whistles, to machined piston stops that can thread into the spak plug hole, to dial indicators, or just a good old piece of soft aluminum or copper wire. Once you know you're on TDC of compression stroke, the distributor variances can be chased down. They can go as far as having the camshaft mis-timed to the crankshaft. Can extend up to the intermediate shaft to the crank gear being mis positioned. And finally, the distributor to the intermediate shaft. Heck, I've even seen a rotor misinstalled and not seated properly on a friends Bug and he couldn't figure out why it didn't run. |
Gint |
Oct 10 2020, 08:00 AM
Post
#3
|
Mike Ginter Group: Admin Posts: 16,071 Joined: 26-December 02 From: Denver CO. Member No.: 20 Region Association: Rocky Mountains |
Last thing in the world I'd rely on is the distributor postion. The time proven method is pull spark plug, measure piston travel, and note when it is dwelling at the top of travel & then verify the intake and exhaust valve positions are both closed. There are a number of TDC tools availabe too ranging from whistles, to machined piston stops that can thread into the spak plug hole, to dial indicators, or just a good old piece of soft aluminum or copper wire. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) A 914 4 will run will run with the distributor 180 degrees out. If you know your distributor is not 180 out, no problem using the rotor position as a guide. BTDT And again, don't use chopsticks down #1 spark plug hole. Chopstick method Sammy had a great idea in post #64 |
Superhawk996 |
Oct 10 2020, 08:09 AM
Post
#4
|
914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,825 Joined: 25-August 18 From: Woods of N. Idaho Member No.: 22,428 Region Association: Galt's Gulch |
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) That is a hilarious old thread full of peril and bad advice! |
Gint |
Oct 10 2020, 08:18 AM
Post
#5
|
Mike Ginter Group: Admin Posts: 16,071 Joined: 26-December 02 From: Denver CO. Member No.: 20 Region Association: Rocky Mountains |
I know, right?
|
Tdskip |
Oct 10 2020, 08:32 AM
Post
#6
|
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,686 Joined: 1-December 17 From: soCal Member No.: 21,666 Region Association: None |
Will not use chopsticks! How about a metal barbecue skewer? That would be better, right?
(Kidding). The car is going to be dynamically time anyway so why wouldn’t the position of the distributor and rotor be useful as a sanity check? Thanks for the responses. |
Gint |
Oct 10 2020, 08:35 AM
Post
#7
|
Mike Ginter Group: Admin Posts: 16,071 Joined: 26-December 02 From: Denver CO. Member No.: 20 Region Association: Rocky Mountains |
The car is going to be dynamically time anyway so why wouldn’t the position of the distributor and rotor be useful as a sanity check? QUOTE A 914 4 will run will run with the distributor 180 degrees out. If you know your distributor is not 180 out, no problem using the rotor position as a guide. BTDT If in that position, when #1 is at TDC, the rotor points to #3 spark plug tower on the distributor cap. Car still runs fine if the spark plug wires are in the correct firing order relative to that position. A better way to explain it would be to say the rotor, instead of pointing at around 11:00, would be pointing around 5:00. I had a different carbed 914 10 years or more ago that was like this. Ran great. I never changed it. And expecting the rotor to be at an exact clock position is kind of a crap shoot anyway, because timing advance or retard will change the position of the dizzy. |
IronHillRestorations |
Oct 10 2020, 08:59 AM
Post
#8
|
I. I. R. C. Group: Members Posts: 6,719 Joined: 18-March 03 From: West TN Member No.: 439 Region Association: None |
This is where a cheap USB endoscope is handy, you can put it in the spark plug hole to confirm piston location. When in doubt, and no scope, I'd probably pull the left side upper tin and sparkplug to confirm the piston was at the top of it's stroke.
Like Superhawk said, rotor location is relative, as you can change it by moving the distributor drive. I ran into this recently, on a bus block engine in my shop. Unknown build with an upgrade to a 1.8 distributor. The way the distributor was indexed, I couldn't get the timing set properly, so I had to pull it, move the drive a tooth, and go on. Not "anatomically correct" but no choice. |
Gint |
Oct 10 2020, 09:23 AM
Post
#9
|
Mike Ginter Group: Admin Posts: 16,071 Joined: 26-December 02 From: Denver CO. Member No.: 20 Region Association: Rocky Mountains |
I have to get a newer one. The old one I have is crap. Additionally, even with an endoscope, you still have to verify if #1 is at the top of the compression or the exhaust stroke. I like to check that both valves are closed. If you absolutely must know, then it's worth the effort.
I'll also point out, that once you've been through this entire process on your own car, you will then have a baseline. You will know if your dizzy is positioned properly, you'll verify your TDC mark on the fan, or made one if it wasn't there, etc... Afterward it's much more straight forward. |
Tdskip |
Oct 10 2020, 09:54 AM
Post
#10
|
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,686 Joined: 1-December 17 From: soCal Member No.: 21,666 Region Association: None |
Excellent, as usual, discussion gentlemen.
I'm installing a brand new Pertronix distributor so hopefully the drive is properly installed. |
Tdskip |
Oct 10 2020, 09:54 AM
Post
#11
|
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,686 Joined: 1-December 17 From: soCal Member No.: 21,666 Region Association: None |
This is where a cheap USB endoscope is handy, you can put it in the spark plug hole to confirm piston location. When in doubt, and no scope, I'd probably pull the left side upper tin and sparkplug to confirm the piston was at the top of it's stroke. Well that seems obvious now that you said it! |
Gint |
Oct 10 2020, 09:58 AM
Post
#12
|
Mike Ginter Group: Admin Posts: 16,071 Joined: 26-December 02 From: Denver CO. Member No.: 20 Region Association: Rocky Mountains |
Excellent, as usual, discussion gentlemen. I'm installing a brand new Pertronix distributor so hopefully the drive is properly installed. make sure #1 is at TDC first and you should be golden. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif) |
Superhawk996 |
Oct 10 2020, 10:17 AM
Post
#13
|
914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,825 Joined: 25-August 18 From: Woods of N. Idaho Member No.: 22,428 Region Association: Galt's Gulch |
Excellent, as usual, discussion gentlemen. I'm installing a brand new Pertronix distributor so hopefully the drive is properly installed. make sure #1 is at TDC first and you should be golden. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) No hopefully. Check and validate TDC, then intermediate driveshaft position if you question it's position. It's not guesswork. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) |
rgalla9146 |
Oct 10 2020, 06:03 PM
Post
#14
|
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 4,554 Joined: 23-November 05 From: Paramus NJ Member No.: 5,176 Region Association: None |
Not sure I'd trust a grey rotor that has the back broken (why ?) ...... that also doesn't seem to confirm much.
Just sayin' |
Tdskip |
Oct 11 2020, 07:11 AM
Post
#15
|
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,686 Joined: 1-December 17 From: soCal Member No.: 21,666 Region Association: None |
|
Tdskip |
Oct 12 2020, 06:48 PM
Post
#16
|
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,686 Joined: 1-December 17 From: soCal Member No.: 21,666 Region Association: None |
Vroom, vroom another one making noise now....
Thanks for the thoughts on the thread gentlemen. |
ndfrigi |
Oct 12 2020, 06:52 PM
Post
#17
|
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 2,928 Joined: 21-August 11 From: Orange County Member No.: 13,474 Region Association: Southern California |
|
Tdskip |
Oct 12 2020, 08:29 PM
Post
#18
|
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 3,686 Joined: 1-December 17 From: soCal Member No.: 21,666 Region Association: None |
It's really a 914world community accomplishment. Thank you.
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 17th May 2024 - 07:18 PM |
All rights reserved 914World.com © since 2002 |
914World.com is the fastest growing online 914 community! We have it all, classifieds, events, forums, vendors, parts, autocross, racing, technical articles, events calendar, newsletter, restoration, gallery, archives, history and more for your Porsche 914 ... |