The V8 Owners Forum -

Hi Guys, Newbie here.

I have just finished rebuilding my 3.5 and want to set up the timing but dont have a clue . My distributer is a 35dlm8. 9:75, vitesse heads, webber 500
I have a timing light but there are no markings on the pully!.

Could someone give me an idiots guide to set it up, Ie what i need to do and what i should expect to see. I have played about with it and can get the engine run, but i would like to know how to set it up properly. The car has not been on the road yet. (pre SVA cobra). Also could some one explain the vacuum advance.

Thanks
Jim

I've akways set mine up to just 'not pink' under normal driving conditions.

I've never bothered with the light etc, as it's so darn hard to see the markings on the pulley.

Chris.

Hi Jim,

If it's a standard pulley, I'll be very surprised if it does not have timing marks on it.
May be worthwhile cleaning round the surface of the yoke just to make sure.

If it genuinely doesn't marks on it, then you'll have to determine true TDC from #1 cylinder , mark the pulley , and time up using that.

Jim

ChrisJC wrote:I've akways set mine up to just 'not pink' under normal driving conditions.

I've never bothered with the light etc, as it's so darn hard to see the markings on the pulley.

Chris.

Same here. At 36 full mech advance it pinked under hard acceleration, so I backed it off a touch, took it out and floored it uphill on a long gentle gradient, it still pinked a littlebit, so I tweaked it until it didn't pink. I have no idea what it is set to now, somewhere between 30 and 34 for a rough guess.