Where are you timing tab?

[phish1270]

I recently bought a '65 Barracuda that someone put a '70-'74 318 into. I put a new Edelbrock carb on, gave it a full tune up, adjusted mixture & idle with a vacuum gauge. Now I want to check & maybe tweak the timing however there is no timing tab anywhere on the motor. Does anyone have any ideas? There is a line on the balancer but nothing to line it up against. Should I try to time it by ear or with vacuum gauge? Can I add a timing tab? I can't seem to find any aftermarket ones. Any advice would help. Thanks in advance for help.

 

[idrift]

I have seen some aftermarket tabs. On mine when I bought it,
they had a cover off a 68 or 68 340 which ever on had the marks on
the passenger side of the cover. Anyway, I fixed it by putting a line
at tdc on the cover with a thin black marker and used that, it can
get you close. I also added some timing tape to the damper.

When I did a tear down I changed the timing cover but the above
worked for a year pretty well and it was inexpensive.

 

[cuhemida]

i just looked at my 318 to make sure i was right on mine the timing marks are on the timming chain cover on the driver side right at the balancer but thats my motor

 

[chasduster]

I have seen some aftermarket tabs. On mine when I bought it,
they had a cover off a 68 or 68 340 which ever on had the marks on
the passenger side of the cover. Anyway, I fixed it by putting a line
at tdc on the cover with a thin black marker and used that, it can
get you close. I also added some timing tape to the damper.

When I did a tear down I changed the timing cover but the above
worked for a year pretty well and it was inexpensive.

That is a good Idea idrift.......He should be able to get it close with that set up..

 

[Steve68]

The 71' (or 70'?) and up normally have a cast timing mark in the cover on the drivers side. Read that there is one year that mark was cast in on passenger side but never seen one. If a cast iron water pump with the drivers side inlet was put on the engine and the timing cover not changed to an earlier unit, the mark will be behind the water pump fitting. We just put on the tab from our previous cover (bolts on the passenger side) and remarked (scribe new mark or timing tape) the balancer to ensure TDC alingment.

 

[dgc333]

Early LA motors had the water pump inlet on the drivers side with the timing tab on the passenger side. 69 or 70 they chagned the water pump inlet to the passenger side and the timing marks are cast into the timing cover on the drivers side.