Setting the timing on a 1962 fuel injection

[Jerry N.]

I have a 1962 fuel injection and have taken the distributor out and have ignition problems. Where should the rotor point when the mark on the harmonic balancer is at zero on the scale?

I also would appreciate any help on where to start looking if the ignition and timing is correct and the car barely runs. It acts like it is barely getting enough fuel.

Thanks,

Jerry Nutt

[Jim T.]

Re: Setting the timing on a 1962 fuel injection

Jerry can't believe this msg has no response, did you disassemble the distributor and put it back together? Life has to be good owning a 62 fulie and a 67 435.

[Mike M.]

Re: Setting the timing on a 1962 fuel injection

with harm bal on Zero, aim rotor at #1 spark plug. It'll fire if not 180 degrees out of time. If 180 out, rotate harm bal one complete turn( at this point rotor will be aimed at plug 6 ) then lift dist. up and rotate rotor to plug #1 and it'll fire up. once it fires, set iming with timing lite acc. to specs in shop manual. good luck, mike

[Ed Jennings]

Re: Setting the timing on a 1962 fuel injection

I think maybe you need a little more information than you're getting here. First, you need to determine that you have the engine set on #1 TDC (Top Dead Center). Assuming that your harmonic balancer is fairly close, you can align the timing mark at "0". Then remove the left (driver's side) valve cover and confirm that both intake and exhaust valves are CLOSED. If not, you are on #6 TDC, and you need to rotate the engine another 360* to get it to #1. Be sure that you are in fact on #1. Fuelies that have a Cranking Signal Valve don't like backfires. The 62 CSV is isolated better than the other years from backfire damage, but it still is vunerable. New CSV's cost $100.

Once you have determined that the engine is in fact on #1 cylinder, then you need to determine which position on the cap you want to be #1. Most people choose a position at about 7:00 if viewing the engine from the front of the car. At this point, you need to install the distributer with the rotor pointing as close as you can get it to this terminal on the cap. The distributer rotates clockwise, so the rotor can be just a smidge past the target with the engine at TDC. This is because the rotor is going to reach the target terminal before the engine reaches TDC.

Yopu can loosen the clamping band on the distributer and rotate the upper section to get to this position if you are a bit off. Then instal the balance of the wires in clockwise order following the firing order on the intake.

At this point, if you don't have a "dialback" timimg light, go buy or borrow one. Sears has a good one for about $70. Acton (who makes Sears also) is also a good brand.

You are going to need an initial setting of about 16-18 degrees advance to get the engine to run properly. The book probably says something different, but that's what you are going to end up with.

Your real goal is not to set the engine to some initial timing number, but rather to achieve a TOTAL ADVANCE value of about 36*. This represents the sum o fthe initial advance (which you see at idle) and the centrifical advance, which should be all in before 3000 RPM.
Rev the engine until the advance stops advancing. This could be a s little a 2000 RPM depending on how your distributer is set up. Whwn you reach this point, set the TOTAL ADVANCE to 36* and lock down the distributer. Check the advance at idle just as a matter of reference. Bet you'll find it is about 16-18* rather than the 12* or so the service manual calls for.

After getting everything else lined out, ie dwell, (check the timing again) and getting the FI sorted out if necessary, you can try advancing the TOTAL ADVANCE to 38*. Lots of folks run them that high, but depending on your particular engine you could have a detonation problem. Just try it and see. If it acts up, back off to the 36* setting.