Hi All, I hope you are all having a nice holiday season. Thanks for all of your help over the years, especially Nate, as I really couldn't do it without you all. My question is that I am FINALLY getting ready to start my 51 3/4 ton pickup (with a '48 216) and I am trying to set the valves (I partially tore down the engine as part of the project). I am trying to find the BB on the flywheel through the little window with the pointer so I can see TDC and I see nothing. I do see about 6 or 7 threaded holes as I turn the fan, but that is about it. Is that BB really small, or am I just going blind? I must have spent 2 hours on it yesterday with no luck. Is there any way of narrowing down where on the flywheel it may be so I am no spinning it 360 trying to find it? Any support really appreciated! Ed
Morning Ed, and Happy (soon to be) New Year! If you have the valve cover off and the spark plugs out for ease of turning, I would think that turning the crank until the rocker arm on the first cylinder is all the way up would help you narrow the search. If not there, try all the way down. Really, I have no idea, but I believe these two items are connected. Good luck! The fine fellers on here are why my 228 fires right up and runs so smoothly, even without Petronix ignition parts!
Do what Zig says, but turn the engine until both the intake AND exhaust rockers are tight. This is the overlap period at the end of the #1 exhaust stroke and start of the intake stroke when both valves are slightly open. It will be TDC on cylinder # 6 and 1 full turn from TDC on #1, but the BB should be in sight or very near by.
Hey thanks Bill and Zig for the responses. So, just to clarify, I turn the fan until the intake and exhaust rockers on cylinder #1 are tight (and by that I am assuming that the pushrods will not be able to be spinned and there is no gap at valve/rocker connection). At that point, I should start to look for the BB in the window. Thanks, that sounds like just what I need! Thanks, Ed
You got it. I used a straw from a broom with a dab of white paint to mark my BB once I found it. Doesn't hurt to dab a little white paint on the pointer either.
My suggestion is to remove the spark plugs and flywheel pan and go under the truck with a wire brush or some fine steel wool and hand turn the flywheel (! gloves !) until you see what you think you're looking for, use some sort of light, once you find it, clean up with the wire bush, there are machine marks going in a circular shape that match the overall flywheel's rondness so follow them with the wire brush to make the basic cleaning easier, once you have the BB are cleaned up, move a bit further until you find the faint triangle / cheveron stamped in and clean that really well too, then take some white paint (SWMBO'S nail polish works well, they sell it for $1.00 at CVS drugstores) and be creative, I have those metal marking paint in a bottle with a BB flow point, you can use a paper match (NOT the fire end, dig) , toothpick or tiny little paint brush like you used on those plastic cars models in 1962 (? still with me here ?) to paint a circle ' round the BB's hole and float some paint into the triangle / chevron stampings , these will make future tune ups *much* easier...... There's a whole technique to floating paint into stamped / recessed numbers, sometimes I use my fingertip to wipe away the excess, other times a rag, take your time and figure out what's easiest for you . When doing a valve adjust, remove the spark plugs and distributor cap, Once the triangle / chevron (this is the T.D.C. mark BTW) is on the needle, you check /adjust the valves on # cylinder then turn the engine by the fan until the points break and that's #5 cylinder, continue by turning the engine *just* far enough for the points to break again (#3) and follow along the easy to remember firing order of 1, 5, 3, 6, 2, 4 and Robert's your Father's bother . Easy - Peazy , right ? .
Thanks Nate! I am gonna drop the flywheel pan this weekend. I just for the life of me can't seem to find that BB or Triangle through the window. The flywheel is pretty dirty, with areas of minor surface rust, so I think it is just well hidden. I was thinking that the BB was TDC, never knew about that triangle - ! Ed
Those pesky details are where the perfect running rig are found...... Once you do this you'll know what to do and why and you can help spread the gospel of proper tuning so others will see that a V8 is unnecessary . Much of the detail work I know was learned from the old GM Dealer Training, very helpful *if* : A. You remember it B. : You're never too lazy / rushed to do everything "Just So", every time, even on the beaters & junkers .
I am too lazy to do much cleaning or standing on my head so I just use my "top dead center whistle" (do a search). Once I have tdc I make up a balancer mark and pointer so the moron that came up with the flywheel markings will be weeping in his grave. I also do away with the flippy floppy distributor and stick in a 230/250 HEI. After throwing the rottenchester in the trash and and going with a FiTech this old fat lazy boy can just recline on his lawn chair and smile.
? What is a iTech ? . Some sort of carburator ? . Good to see you're still with us and having fun Evan .
Nate, A FiTech unit is an EFI throttle body type injector set up. They have recently come out with a unit for inline 4 and 6 cylinder engines up to 400hp. After FiTech's success Edelbrock and Holley have also jumped on the band wagon. We have had very good results with the FiTech unit and it is the only one under a grand in cost. It's a self tuning piece that you just bolt on and since it's all self contained there is very little wiring required. Starts instantly hot or cold, automatically adjusts idle, has an exact 14.7 to 1 air/fuel ratio, zero flat spots or hesitation, and usually gets around a 20% gain in gas mileage. Edelbrock, Holley, and FiTech all have half hour long You Tube videos showing the install and of course propaganda on why theirs is the best.
THANX Evan ! . That sounds great & simple too . I love Fuel Injection but am still using carbys on my older rigs . I hope you're sitting down : On Friday December 13th I was scanning charity auctions OnLine and bought a 2001 BRAND 'F' Ranger pickup truck (yes, I know, I know) . It's the cheapest one they made, an XL 4.5 liter(oops, 2.5L !) 4 banger with five speed manual box and a basic AM/FM radio and nothing else . I love it = . Sadly, on Sunday December 16th a jerk ran into it causing damage to the driver's side door and rocker panel, I hope to be able to save it from being totaled as it only has 117,000 miles and runs and drives as a cheap shop truck should .
Nate, I believe the 2001 four banger is a 2.5 liter but no difference, they are one of the most durable engines ever made. Just put in a new timing belt every 100,000 miles and they are good for at least a half million miles if oil and filter changed every 5k miles. If the timing belt breaks it does no damage since the pistons/valves are a non-interference fit. Picture of my 98 cheapest model that doesn't use a drop of oil and is my ONLY vehicle other than my seldom driven antiques. Would take off for Alaska in a heartbeat and have zero mechanical problems.
Thank you ! . Yes, I'd planned to replace the timing belt but I'm still waiting to hear from the collision shakes, out, the boob who hit me was driving a BHPH clunker that had illegal collision and comprehensive coverage only so my ins. co. said they'd pay to get it fixed under my un insured coverage (glad I decided to add that !) . I have a box full of new filters, oil and so on I'm not going to put in until I know what's what . I love this little thing ~ it's as basic as they get nowadays and suits me to a 'T' . I wish it was a GM product but that's the way the ball bounces .
