Timing marks on pulley - where???!!

[appletonn]

I've cleaned the pulley as best I can but can I find the blooming timing marks, can I heck!!

It's a 1.8iS so I know there should be 2, TDC and the 10 deg BTDC?

The marks on the bracket attached to the block are nice and cleaned up, but I'm buggered if I can find the notches on the pulley!

Help!!

[MX-5 Lazza]

It's possible that the pulley could have slipped so that the marks are not where you expect them to be. This happened on the Planet Motorsports car and isn't uncommon on 1.6. I have no idea if the same thing can happen on 1.8.
To find TDC, remove the spark plugs and put a dowel down the cylinder 1 hole so it's sitting on the piston. Turn the engine over manually with a ratchet on the crank bolt while watching the dowel so you can see when it's at TDC. Check the pulley for marks at the pointer, if there isn't one make a new mark.

[appletonn]

Ok, I thought about sticking the dipstick into the bore to determine where TDC was. If I'm going to mark the pulley, and I want to end up with the timing at 14 degrees BTDC, what should I be marking on the pulley? Just the TDC mark or also the 10 degrees BTDC that I will then move to align with 14 degrees BTDC through the timing light?

I think I've just answered my own question!

[snotrag]

The mark is actually a small notch in the pulley - if you run your finger nail around the edge I bet you'll feel it.

I painted mine with white paint, and also the ridges on the moulded plastic timing marks that your aiming for - shows up really bright when lit up with a timing strobe makes it very easy to use.

[MX-5 Lazza]

As Snotty says, it should be a notch though knowing where it should be helps when looking for it. If you have a strobe light then you could also try using that as the mark should show up clearly enough if it's in the right place.
All you really need is the TDC mark then adjust it to 14BTDC

[appletonn]

MX-5 Lazza said:

As Snotty says, it should be a notch though knowing where it should be helps when looking for it. If you have a strobe light then you could also try using that as the mark should show up clearly enough if it's in the right place.
All you really need is the TDC mark then

adjust it to 14BTDC

So, just to be clear, is it the TDC notch that I need to align with the 10 or 14 degree mark, or the notch to the left of it that would normally align with the 10 degree mark if the right hand notch was aligned with the TDC mark - 1.8 supposedly has 2 notches?

Thanks guys

[Richyvrlimited]

appletonn said:

So, just to be clear, is it the TDC notch that I need to align with the 10 or 14 degree mark, or the notch to the left of it that would normally align with the 10 degree mark if the right hand notch was aligned with the TDC mark - 1.8 supposedly has 2 notches?

Thanks guys

If there's 2 notches. If the engine is off and the dipstock in in cylinder no1 then the upper mark, (or the one on the left as you look head on at the pulley), will be level with TDC and the lower mark won't be reading on the markers.

With the engine running and a timing strobe the upper mark should be on 10/14deg and the lower mark should be on TDC/4deg

If there's 1 notch when stationary it'll be on TDC and when running will be at the timing mark you're aiming for i.e. 10/14deg