<VV> Distibutor 180

[Padgett]

> >On both  cylinders, with the rotor pointing to the respective cylinder,
> >he's  found the TDC - however - the timing notch on the harmonic
> >balancer, is all the way @ the bottom ( at 6  o'clock).
>
>Sounds like the woodruff key is missing. This is what locks the balancer to
>the crank and if missing the balancer can be bolted in 180 out.

"In fact, there are two TDCs for each
engine cycle. The important thing is to get the right one. That's when the
piston is coming up on the compression stroke."

Note: you *can't* fire at 180. A engine will run with the timing off by 
about 20 crank degrees either way but will run well only over about a 10 
degree range - two cylinders (1&2) will fire well in the 4-20 degree range. 
Two more will fire at 120 degrees  and the last two at 240 degrees. None 
fire at 180 degrees or even +/- 30 degrees of there.

If you put a timing light on the coil wire you will see the timing mark for 
all three of them but none are straight down and the only way I can think 
of for the timing mark to be straight down at TDC for *any* cylinder is for 
the balancer to be installed without the woodruff key and 180 out.

This is why I am concerned that my Petronix is firing #2 4 (actually 364) 
degrees behind #1, it should be exactly 360 degrees later. Have dropped a 
note to Petronix and will see if they answer.

Padgett