Years ago, I put some white paint on the fan so I could see TDC. Now i can't hardly see it. I need to set the timing, and am having a hard time.

Hints/tips/tricks please....

TIA

i set mine off of the flywheel. can you see your flywheel thru the rear tin?

Red paint marker and even a black Sharpie have worked for me.
Mark D.

I never painted mine. I use a telescoping pole inspection mirror and hit the engraved line. The PO had put paint marks on. They were all a few degrees off, so now I don't trust paint.

There is a window thru the rear tin and the transaxle to see the flywheel. OE flywheels are marked with a notch for TDC. From that you can mark the fan. You might even find the fan is notched but at the rear (a bus fan)
If this doesn't do it, go old school. Make a piston stop that extends through the #1 spark plug hole. Turn the crank in one direction to the stop then in the other direction to the stop. Halfway between those marks is true TDC.
Use a timing light with built in advance to set timing.

Rgalla, I have never heard this method, and I am old school and old. Please explain this a little further.

glasses?

keep an eye on the triangle notch, at #1 and #3 TDC a little line will be cnetered in the notch. you may need to degrease it if you cant see it and it is dirty.

I think it was Dave D. who once wisely said "If both feet are on the garage floor, your not doing it right."

LOL, I figure that one out on my own. Even with re-marking the front of the fan with the marks, I had to climb up on top of the trunk to see what I was doing. Perhaps this is another reason the 914s look the way they do, flat and all?

you can keep both feet on the floor and do it with an inspection mirror. Don't even need to hold the mirror.

I put mine so it is resting on the view hole with the tail propped on something. Shoot the light at the mirror and it bounces right were you need to see. Its only hard the first time. Once you learn where things need to sit, timing is pretty easy to check.

Zach

First, to determine that no original marks are being overlooked do the following.
Bring #1 up to top of stroke, determine that there is clearance at both rockers. Put a screwdriver into spark plug hole to verify top of stroke. Check to see if ign. rotor is pointed at notch on rim of dizzy. Ignore the dizzy if it is not.
Look through window at rear of engine. The flywheel can be seen through the tin and an opening at top of transaxle. Is there a large notch there ? If yes line it up with crankcase seam and look for a mark on the fan, it is very easy to overlook if it is a bus fan and is marked only at the rear of the timing hole. If there is nothing there mark fan with bright colored paint for TDC,
Still nothing ?
If no marks are found a tool to determine TDC can be fabricated or purchased.
This is how it works.
Remove all spark plugs, bring engine to top of compression stroke #1 cyl. Move piston off top of stroke slightly. Install piston stop in spark plug hole. Bring piston back up stroke till it touches stop. Mark flywheel at this point. Now rotate engine in opposite direction until it touches the stop again . Mark fan or flywheel at this position.
Measure the distance between your two marks . Half way between those marks is TDC This is not an easy task on an installed 914 engine.
When TDC is known and timing spec is known a timing light with adjustable advance can be used to set timing.

The notch in the fan is a timing mark for the stock FI not TDC, isn't it? I could be totally wrong here...

all fans are not created equal. Some year djet had marks on both tdc and 28 btdc, some had just tdc, some just 28btdc. busses were not the only vehicles that had notches on the hub side (rear in a914). I'm very sure my 1.7 that I bought new in 73 did not come with a bus fan.

Went out today, clearanced some space at the top rear tin to see the flywheel. Did this in bright sunlight and couldn't see the strobe at all. LOL

Will try again in a little while once it gets dusky out. More to follow......

During a rebuild I always paint the blade closest to TDC and 28* . The 28* BTDC is the next blade to the left of a large support boss.

Joe, nix on the strobe light. You just roll the engine by hand till the notch comes visible in the hole. Then check the rotor. It should be pointing toward the #1 plug wire position. If it points to the #3 , rotate it another 360.


Al, that depends on how you are veiwng it. If your standing on the passenger side, with engine in car, its the blade to the right of the large web. Its always on the starboard side.

Remove a s-plug and put a chop stick in the hole.

28 or 27?

I will never forget that thread. Wonder how that young man is doing?