Re: Plugs, Fire, Distributor

[jlandry@domain.elided (John A. Landry)]

The aliens commander decided DSkirtech@domain.elided would make a
perfect specimen for dissection, and he yelled...

>Cover the plug hole with your thumb and have a friend get in and
>"bump" the starter until you feel pressure build and start to blow through
>the hole. (you WILL know because it will blow out no matter how hard you
>press your thumb over the hole). As soon as you get this to happen STOP.
>Now you have the piston at/ or near "Top Dead Center".

This is only part of the procedure, and I'm sure Dane just left out this
minor detail.  No dowels or straws are needed.

Once you feel the pressure begin to build, it means the piston is beginning
the *compression* stroke.  When the piston reaches the very top of its
stroke, it will be at TDC of the compression stroke... pretty simple huh?  

How do you know when it actually reaches the top?  Simple... once you feel
the pressure, watch for the timing mark coming around on the harmonic
balancer and keep turning the crank until it lines up perfectly with the 0
degree mark on the timing chain cover.  I use a breaker bar on the harmonic
balancer retaining nut rather than bumping the starter and possibly
overshooting the mark.

And something else worth mentioning here... the timing mark on the harmonic
balancer will always be correct on an IH engine.  The way the IH harmonic
balancer is constructed, the timing mark cannot "slip" in relation to the
crankshaft.  The only way that could happen is if the entire harmonic
balancer were to sheer the mounting key and spin on the shaft, which while
not completely impossible is damn near it.

Regards,

John L.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
jlandry AT halcyon DOT com      | 
Conservative Libertarian        |  "The road to  tyranny, we must never
Life Member of the NRA          |   forget, begins with the destruction
WA Arms Collectors              |   of the truth."
Commercial Helicopter - Inst.   |                     William J. Clinton
http://www.halcyon.com/jlandry/ |    10-15-95, speech at the Univ. of CT