timing

[5.9northwest]

i have a 72 w/ a 1600 ( i think) and need to set the timing, and clue where i need to set it? or what the best way to figure out where it should be?

thanks,
Richard

[helowrench]

does your distributor have a vac advance on it? and if so, how many vac hoses go to it?

[5.9northwest]

no, it has a "009" i think its called...

[andy198712]

have you got or have access to a timing gun?

[juki48]

set it to 30° max advance, which usually happens around 3k rpm. should be around 5-10° at idle. here is some info http://www.vw-resource.com/009_dizzy.html

[5.9northwest]

i have a good timing gun, yes.

[5.9northwest]

set it to 30° max advance, which usually happens around 3k rpm. should be around 5-10° at idle. here is some info http://www.vw-resource.com/009_dizzy.html

i can adv or retard the light, should i set it to 30* adv by the light and set the timing marks @ tdc?

[Piledriver]

The very first thing you need to do is make certain you know exactly where TDC is.
Perversely, the factory notch on the pulley is likely NOT TDC.

[Marc]

The timing mark(s) on various stock crank pulleys can signify different settings, so you can get messed up if someone's replaced the pulley with a different one at some time in the last 40+ years. Also, you may sometimes encounter one that someone's filed their own notches into which can confuse things.
The original pulley for a `72 went with the "DVDA" distributor which used initial timing of 5° AFTER TDC at idle - the one notch represents 5°ATDC. Look on the other rim of the pulley for a small "dent" about ½" clockwise from the notch - that's TDC. If the dent is ~⅝" CCW from the notch, the notch means 7.5°BTDC because the pulley was meant for use with an "SVDA" as used on most 1974s. If it's one of several possible earlier pulleys with no dent, the notch(es) can have other meanings - for example, if there are two notches very close together they are 7.5 & 10° BTDC.
Maximum advance is supposed to occur by 2500 RPM on the 0 231 178 009 distributor (going to ~3000 assures that the advance is "all in" before you make your adjustment).
The objective is to end up with 30-32° BTDC total timing at max advance - the engine can tolerate more at higher RPM, but that's the max that's considered "safe" under full load at ~2500 so you don't want to exceed it. What that will leave you with at idle can vary substantially from one distributor to the next, but ~12° should be about the max at idle; if you've got one that only has an 18° wide curve, you'll want it to span 12 to 30°...if you're lucky enough to have one with, say, a 23° curve you might set it to span 8 to 31°.
The accuracy of the dial-back timing lights should never be taken for granted - even high-priced ones can be off above 2000 RPM or so, and the cheapies aren't trustworthy at even lower speeds. They rely upon an electronic "delay line" which is sensitive to frequency (RPM). It's a nifty feature which makes it easier to check the action of the distributor's advance mechanism(s) but the accuracy at a given RPM needs to be verified before you can trust it. You're far better off making your own timing mark for 30°BTDC and leaving the knob on the strobe at "0". Once you've set the timing that way, you can recheck using the knob - but don't be surprised if the reading is a couple of degrees off of what you expect it to be. Some high-performance ignition systems (MSD, for one) don't play well with a dial-back strobe, either.

Measure the pulley circumference (distance around outer edge) with a tape measure. This is 360 degrees. Since 30 * 12 = 360, if you divide the circumference by 12 you will have the measurement for 30 degrees. Make a mark that distance to the right of TDC (0).
If you divide the circumference by 360 you have the distance per degree.
This method can be used on any engine....

When in doubt about a pulley's markings you can pull #1 or #3 sparkplug and probe the top of the piston while you "rock" the crank back & forth in the vicinity of TDC. A long soda straw is an effective, safe tool to use for the job. There's a more precise "positive stop" method which uses a sparkplug base with a threaded probe in it but IMO that's overkill when all you're trying to do is identify which stock pulley you have.

http://www.msdignition.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14309