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Old 11-09-2010, 07:29 AM   #13
lindstromjd
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: West Des Moines, IA
Posts: 464
Re: Improve mileage 350 with Quadrajet

If you have a buddy to help you, then you don't technically need any timing marks. Remove the #1 spark plug and find TDC for the compression stroke. Once it's there, make a mark on your harmonic balancer with some sort of paint marker or something that will work on metal. 12 degrees BTDC will be about an inch or so above that mark (as long as you have your timing chain cover with the timing tab). You absolutely sure you don't have a timing mark in your harmonic balancer? Maybe it's just dirty and you can't see anything? Or are you missing the timing tab?

If you're missing your timing tab, you can always time your engine by listening to it. Just remove your vacuum advance, plug it off, and rotate your distributor until your idle goes down, then do the same by rotating the opposite way, and then find the middle of the two. That's *about* 12 degrees.

Also, just out of curiosity, are you certain you have all your plugs wired up the right way? GM v8's will run on 7 or even 6 cylinders (don't ask me how I know that) when the wires are messed up. I'd check your firing order just to be safe.
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