200 timing way off?

[xpsnake]

I just bought a 76,000 mile 1981 Mustang for a couple hundred. It has the 200 in it. I heard it spark knocking on the highway, so I decided to check the timing. I pulled the advance off and plugged it. Then put the timing light on the plug closest to the front of the car. The timing tab is on the driver's side, but under the timing light, I can't see the timing mark on the crank at ALL.

After some investigation, I found I could see the mark about 180 degrees around, on the passenger side of the engine........ does anyone have any ideas what could be wrong? The car runs and drives excellent.

 

[Marine05]

Did u make sure to pull numberone spark plug and set the crank at Top Dead Center. If u didnt, of course the crank would be off. But make sure its at the top of the compression stroke

 

[61Futura]

Your pulley must have slipped so you have to time it by ear. Put the light on #2 or 3 plug wire so you can see how much you are changing the timing.

 

[xpsnake]

I set it by ear for now, I'm going to keep bumping it up until I get detonation again, then back it down a bit. I'm so used to setting the timing on my 302 that I just didn't know where to start.

If the pulley slipped, is that going to cause me any trouble?

 

[wallaka]

Nah. It just makes it aggravating to time.

 

[GrantD]

i'm willing to bet that a good number of us have motors like that i know i do.

 

[xpsnake]

Is there an easy fix for this?

 

[fordconvert]

New balancer ?

http://www.classicinlines.com/products.asp?cat=65

 

[cfmustang]

Until I replaced my balance, I found TDC and remarked the pulley with a paint marker. It works in a pinch, but if it was a slipped damper it could continue to slip making the new mark off again.

 

[flatford6]

The problems with this: 1 Incorect timing mark, 2 Unbalanced condition ie. shaky engine, 3 lack of correct crankshaft tortional vibration dampening leading to broken crank, and 4 The outside ring can come off either rearward and get wedged against the timing cover or forward and hit the fan or radiator or something.

 

[pedal2themetal45]

How does it run .... good , bad... I think the'll run 180 off but not very good... You might want to verafi TDC for #1
Tim

 

[xpsnake]

Is there anywhere to get a balancer that does not cost more than my entire engine?

Also, it runs great and smooth once it's warmed up.

 

[pedal2themetal45]

Prob a stock replacement well be cheapest.... call you dealer?
You could re-identifi TDC . by rotating the motor by hand and use some kind of stop in the #1 plug hole. rotate it clockwise untill it stops. mark the dampner with chalk (or something) at 0* the rotate it counter clockwise and mark it again when it stops at 0* and then 1/2 way between the marks would be 0* or TDC..
Tim

 

[66 Fastback]

I think there were a couple of different outfits in California that rebuild the balancers. I think one was Damper Dudes http://www.damperdudes.net/
and the other Damper Doc or something like that. It has been a while since I bought one, but I think I paid under $100 and it would be cheaper with the core credit.

Doug