{"id":56,"date":"2022-08-02T15:32:54","date_gmt":"2022-08-02T15:32:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/?p=56"},"modified":"2022-12-22T19:50:18","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T19:50:18","slug":"how-to-set-timing-on-chevy-350-without-timing-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/how-to-set-timing-on-chevy-350-without-timing-light\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Timing on Chevy 350 without Timing Light"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Well, I am not an expert mechanic, but I do know how to work on cars. But, I had no idea how to set timing on my small block Chevy 350 engine without using the timing machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After researching, I came up with this article, that shows you step-by-step How to Set Timing on Chevy 350 without Timing Light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll be surprised at how easy it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block has-contrast-color has-very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray-gradient-background has-text-color has-background\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li ><a href=\"#how-to-set-timing-on-chevy-350-without-timing-light\">How to Set Timing on Chevy 350 without Timing Light<\/a><ul><li ><a href=\"#1-remove-the-spark-plugs-from-the-driver-side-cylinder\">1. Remove the Spark Plugs from The Driver Side Cylinder<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#2-spin-the-motor-over\">2. Spin the Motor Over<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#3-nbsp-find-the-top-dead-center-on-the-compression-stroke\">3.\u00a0Find the Top Dead Center on The Compression Stroke<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#4-make-a-mark-on-the-timing-cover\">4. Make a Mark On the Timing Cover<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#5-pull-out-the-distributor\">5. Pull out The Distributor<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#6-arrange-the-distributor-according-to-the-350-engines-firing-diagram\">6. Arrange the Distributor according to the 350 engine&#8217;s Firing Diagram<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#7-make-a-mark-as-to-where-your-motor-is-and-make-sure-it-is-pointing-towards-the-1-spark-plug\">7. Make a Mark as To Where Your Motor Is and Make Sure It Is Pointing Towards the #1 Spark Plug<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#8-rearrange-the-wires-amp-route-them-to-defaults\">8. Rearrange the Wires &amp; Route Them to Defaults<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#9-fire-up-the-engine\">9. Fire up The Engine<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li ><a href=\"#what-should-small-block-chevy-350-timing-be-set-at\">What Should Small Block Chevy 350 Timing Be Set At?<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#what-to-look-for-when-setting-the-timing-on-a-sbc-350-engine\">What to Look For When Setting the Timing on a SBC 350 Engine?<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#how-to-set-timing-on-a-chevy-350-with-a-broken-timing-light\">How to Set Timing on a Chevy 350 With a Broken Timing Light<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#other-timing-considerations\">Other Timing Considerations<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#can-you-adjust-timing-without-timing-light-on-chevy-350\">Can You Adjust Timing without Timing Light on Chevy 350?<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-set-timing-on-chevy-350-without-timing-light\">How to Set Timing on Chevy 350 without Timing Light<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/how-to-set-timing-on-my-small-block-Chevy-350-engine-without-using-the-timing-machine-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"how to set timing on my small block Chevy 350 engine without using the timing machine\" class=\"wp-image-59\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/how-to-set-timing-on-my-small-block-Chevy-350-engine-without-using-the-timing-machine-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/how-to-set-timing-on-my-small-block-Chevy-350-engine-without-using-the-timing-machine-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/how-to-set-timing-on-my-small-block-Chevy-350-engine-without-using-the-timing-machine-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/how-to-set-timing-on-my-small-block-Chevy-350-engine-without-using-the-timing-machine.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow these steps to Set Timing on Chevy 350 without Timing Light:<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-remove-the-spark-plugs-from-the-driver-side-cylinder\">1. Remove the Spark Plugs from The Driver Side Cylinder<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Put your finger over the hole and manually turn the engine over until you feel the compression stroke. &nbsp;Turn the key and wait for the engine to start.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-spin-the-motor-over\">2. Spin the Motor Over<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>We need to spin the motor over to find the center of the compression stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-nbsp-find-the-top-dead-center-on-the-compression-stroke\">3. Find the Top Dead Center on The Compression Stroke<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>To find the dead center, hold your finger over the hole, spin the engine over at the crank with the ratchet and wait until you have pressure pushing against your finger. This indicates that you are on the compression stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-make-a-mark-on-the-timing-cover\">4. Make a Mark On the Timing Cover<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Marking the timing cover will help you line up decently close to zero degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-pull-out-the-distributor\">5. Pull out The Distributor<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>You need to remove the distributor in order to check and arrange it in line with the firing order of the 350.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-arrange-the-distributor-according-to-the-350-engines-firing-diagram\">6. Arrange the Distributor according to the 350 engine&#8217;s Firing Diagram<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Check out this article to know the exact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/350-chevy-engine-diagram\/\">350 Chevy Firing Order Diagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-make-a-mark-as-to-where-your-motor-is-and-make-sure-it-is-pointing-towards-the-1-spark-plug\">7. Make a Mark as To Where Your Motor Is and Make Sure It Is Pointing Towards the #1 Spark Plug<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Marking correctly is the key here because we don&#8217;t have a timing machine we will have to make an educated guess so that we can get the timing right on the first try.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8-rearrange-the-wires-amp-route-them-to-defaults\">8. Rearrange the Wires &amp; Route Them to Defaults<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Connect all the wires &amp; spark plugs we removed in the initial steps so that we can check if the timing is set correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"9-fire-up-the-engine\">9. Fire up The Engine<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>After everything is wired up and the distributor is connected, it is time to check if you set the timing right. If you followed all the steps correctly, you should be able to get it right on the first try. If not, make a few adjustments in the markings and you should be able to set the timing yourself on your chevy 350 engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By following this process, you will understand How to Set Timing on Chevy 350 without Timing Light.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-should-small-block-chevy-350-timing-be-set-at\">What Should Small Block Chevy 350 Timing Be Set At?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Normal&#8221; base timing for a street high-perf small-block Chevy is somewhere in the 12- to 18-degree BTDC before top dead center range, with total timing at full centrifugal advance about 34 to 36 degrees BTDC, as read at the crank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But before you do anything, it can&#8217;t hurt to get a second opinion. Try using a different timing light and see if the results agree.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-to-look-for-when-setting-the-timing-on-a-sbc-350-engine\">What to Look For When Setting the Timing on a SBC 350 Engine?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Before you start setting the timing on your small block chevy 350 engine, you need to know what to look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>The first thing to do is to check the ignition system.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you see spark plugs that have a very short gap, you will have to adjust the timing. The next thing to check is the distributor. Make sure that it is set at the correct position. If it is too far forward or too far back, you will have to adjust the distributor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Another thing to check is the camshaft. If it is not set at the correct position, you will have to adjust it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Finally, check the cam cover. If it is not set properly, you will have to adjust it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-set-timing-on-a-chevy-350-with-a-broken-timing-light\">How to Set Timing on a Chevy 350 With a Broken Timing Light<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>If the timing light is broken, you will have to adjust the distributor. The distributor controls the ignition timing. This means that the timing light has to be working for the distributor to work. If the timing light is broken, the distributor will not work. So, you will have to adjust the distributor. What If the Distributor Is Not Adjusting Properly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the distributor is not adjusting properly, you will have to adjust it. First, you will have to adjust the timing marks on the distributor. The distributor is usually located behind the engine. You will have to look for a mark on the distributor. This mark tells you how far the distributor is set from the camshaft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you know How to Set Timing on Chevy 350 without Timing Light or a broken timing light.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"other-timing-considerations\">Other Timing Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>You will also have to check the camshaft position. If the camshaft is not aligned with the crankshaft, the distributor won&#8217;t adjust properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will have to move the distributor to a position where the camshaft is correctly aligned with the crankshaft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will have to adjust the timing marks on the distributor to make sure that the camshaft is aligned with the crankshaft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will have to move the distributor to a position where the camshaft is correctly aligned with the crankshaft.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"can-you-adjust-timing-without-timing-light-on-chevy-350\">Can You Adjust Timing without Timing Light on Chevy 350?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;You can adjust timing without a timing light on Chevy 350 by following the process shown above.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>I hope that this article has given you all the information you need on How to Set Timing on Chevy 350 without Timing Light.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Well, I am not an expert mechanic, but I do know how to work on cars. But, I had no [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":58,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":630,"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56\/revisions\/630"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chevy-350-engines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}