how do you work a timing gun?

[stevepeanut]

so far after putting in the new engine, I followed wpe's instructions, got my engine to TDC, and after a lot of silly faults being sorted I got it fired up.

 

Next is to set it correctly with a timing gun, so far I got, pull out the vaccum pipe off the dizzy, put no1 lead through the wires on the gun, red and black to the battery.

 

Can someone explain what I do next, in really simple step by step instructions. I've got some idea that it needs to be pointed at the bottom pulley, am I using the little marker that sticks out by the water pump and the notches on the pulley, thats what I used to find top deadcentre, is it those for the timing too or something else.

 

Cheers in advance

[flyingbanana]

those marks are for your timing and tcd..so all you do is when the car is running is you turn the dizzy one way and it will retard and the other will advance.....so get it so the mark lines up with the correct mark....turn engine off tighten dizzy bolt and put bits back on and recheck its right..also mark on the pulley wheel with a bit of paint

[Fiesta Steve]

 

Cheers in advance

 

No pun intended eh

 

You seem to have the right idea m8, if you tipex the timing marks you'll see them better with the light, when you swing the dizzy you'll see the marks moving

[stevepeanut]

right I think I got it, in my manual they were 2 4 6 8, so my pinto is meant to be 8 before tdc, so if I paint the marker white and number 8 white, I just got to twist the dizzy till it lines up. Sounds easy enough

[Guest cortinamad-gonetoo]

you need to plug the vacuum pipe off so it doesnt leak air

 

paint the mark you want (8 btdc in your case and the tdc pointer white) so you can see them clear

 

have engine warm and ticking over at 1000 rpm then turn the dizzy untill you get the marks lined up

 

mines set at 6 btc though as it pinked on 8 and its a unleaded head(just thought id let you know that) but i think it depends on what your engine originally came out of mines sierra inj

[bortaf]

Don't forget to block the vac tube off or the idle will be all over the place and make it hard to time

[stevepeanut]

mines a 200 block, not sure what it first came out of