Farmall M timing

I have just finished rebuilding the engine on my 1949 Farmall M did everything to the engine new sleeves, pistons, rings I had my crank turned, Flywheel resurfaced and head re done with new valves. I?ve got a lot of money in this thing and I?m real anxious to hear it run but I can?t get it to run I think it?s a timing issue. I rebuilt the carb and I know it?s getting gas to it and it was sparking but now it?s not. So here?s what I did, I took apart the distributor at the point where it?s like a drive-dog type connection (see pic) and I?m afraid that when putting the distributor back together I may have turned the distributor 180 degrees off lining it back up into distributor drive. So I turned the crank to TDC on #1 cylinder and the crank pulley was at the first mark with the little point from block pointing at it. I noticed that my rotary button was off so when I was here I took the distributor off at the two bolts on the side (the bolts where you can turn distributor for timing) and turned the gear to where #1 point was lined up with the rotary button point. When I done this the tractor kept hitting but never started. So I took off the dust cover at my distributor and made sure the point gap was right at .020 and I adjusted it some. I double checked my timing and tuned the distributor a hair. Now the tractor will not even hit and it blowing oil up out of the air breather. I know I have got all the timing marks on the gears in the front cover lined up so if anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate them!
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So it sounds like you may a 180° out.

With all this work I assume you have a manual for the engine????

Timing must be done on the compression stroke.....
 
Yes I do have a manual. It just doesn?t go into detail about the
direction of the drive dog and all that. I was thinking it didn?t
matter which way the dog was 180 degrees out or not as long
as the rotary button is touching the #1 point for spark plug for
cylinder #1 at TDC with the crank pulley lining up
 
Remove the spark plugs, it will make it easier to turn the engine over. Remove the valve cover.
Using a hand crank slowly turn the engine over by hand and observe the valve operation in relation to the two marks on the belt pulley.
The two marks should come to the TDC pointer on #1 and #4 cylinder. Stop turning the engine slightly after #1 on the TDC pointer.
Now take the distributer and turn the drive dogs by hand and observe the rotor as it turns. The two o'clock post is for the #1 cylinder.
Continue turning the drive until the rotor just passes the #1 tower. If the distributor has an impulse let it snap. The dogs and the drive should now line up.
Insert the distributor and tighten the mounting bolts. Now slowly turn the engine with the hand crank and observe the valve action in relation to the rotor.
The rotor should snap, if equipped with an impulse, for each cylinder in the firing order 1,3,4,2.
Turn the engine over a few times to completely verify the timing. With the impulse the distributor should snap right on the two marks for #1 and #4.
Install the spark plugs. It should start. With the engine running loosen the distributor bolts slightly and fine tune the timing.
 
Pull valve cover off top of engine. Turn engine until number 4 cylinder is on valve overlap. This means as you turn engine, number 4 exhaust valve will be closing the same time number 4 intake is opening. That tells you that number one cylinder is on top dead center compression stroke. Time your distributor to point to number one spark plug wire. Now, with ignition on,rotate distributor until the points are just beginning to open, and tighten it down. Start tractor and find time timing from there with tractor running.
 
A quick test whether distributor timing is out 180 deg is to simply swap plug wires across the distributor cap (ie. swap #1 with #4, and #2 with #3) then see if it will start.

Incidentally the distributor drive dog turns CCW as viewed from the rear of the engine.
 
I like you didn't think it would matter which way the dog was as long as you get the rotor in the right place. I hope someone will correct me if it does. As stated by someone else remember there are two TDC for #1. Some suggested removing valve cover. I normally verify TDC after compression stroke from air coming our spark plug hole. You just have to pay close attention to the 4 strokes involved.
 
Wow, this has gotten way more complicated than needed. Goodmans reply is the closest to being clear. If you have the valves set relatively close all you need is to feel the air being pushed out of the compression stroke of No. 1 cylinder as in closest to the fan, I?m sure the manual shows all this. I?m pretty sure the spark plug tower in the distributor cap to number one plug wire is located in approximately the 1o?clock position as viewed from the back. I believe that an IH cap and maybe others even label it on the distributor cap. As your turning the engine and feel pressure building in the number 1 hole continue to turn the engine until you line up to the second mark on the pulley or the TDC mark.The first notch is for when the engine is running in advance. So do what ever is needed to get the distributor rotor to align with the No. 1 contact terminal in the cap which as stated above should fall at the 1o?clock position. If not turn the distributor housing to this position and align the gears so this can be achieved as the engine stays stationary at this point. Once you get the distributor this close in time the engine should start.
 
I pull the valve cover and observe the valvetrain (the rocker arms) on #1 cylinder. I also pull #1 spark plug and observe the piston crown with LED flashlight.

On "correct TDC" both rocker arms will be "quiet" each side of the piston apex. This is the transition from Compression to Power.

On "incorrect TDC" the rocker arms will display motion on each side of the piston apex. This is the transition from Exhaust to Intake.

The leap of abstraction you must make is that 1 combustion cycle takes 2 revolutions of the crank and 2 reciprocations of the piston naturally follow. In Nikolas Otto we trust.
 
nowhere are you verifying you have # 1 cyl. on the compression stroke. Steinkamp has given the best and easiest way to diagnos this. you dont ned to pull spark plugs, dont need to look in cyl. dont need to feel for compression, Because when running mate #4 cyl. valves are on the rock ,# 1 cyl. WILL be on compression at top dead centre , no Buts about it. this is how to set the valves also. learned this over forty years ago in mechanic's class.
 
I understand what you are saying but with adjusting my valves for TDC on cylinder #1 cylinder #4 is also at TDC so I?m afraid I may have my timing 180 degrees out I just need to determine if I have cylinder 1 on the compression stroke and I can?t go by my valves because I have already adjusted them to the order I have now so when Cylinder #1 is at TDC the valves are open and #4 is on the valve. I?m afraid I may need to change my timing from cylinder 1 to cylinder 4 and redo my valves from there
 
If by chance I have the #1 cylinder TDC on the exhaust stroke and set my valves in order 1342 turning the engine 180 degrees each time and setting would it be possible to feel air coming out of the hole if I have #1 cylinder on the exhaust stroke because of the valves being wrong?
 
(quoted from post at 14:53:19 09/15/18) I understand what you are saying but with adjusting my valves for TDC on cylinder #1 cylinder #4 is also at TDC so I?m afraid I may have my timing 180 degrees out I just need to determine if I have cylinder 1 on the compression stroke and I can?t go by my valves because I have already adjusted them to the order I have now so when Cylinder #1 is at TDC the valves are open and #4 is on the valve. I?m afraid I may need to change my timing from cylinder 1 to cylinder 4 and redo my valves from there

Man, slow down and read what they are saying.....

The TDC for setting the number one valves is the same as the distributor timing.

It sounds like you better reset the valves too.

Pull all spark plugs.

Pull the valve cover and turn engine with the hand crank, you will see #1 exhaust open then turn #1 intake open, bring it up to tdc and start over with all adjustments for valves and timing.
 
(quoted from post at 16:04:46 09/15/18) If by chance I have the #1 cylinder TDC on the exhaust stroke and set my valves in order 1342 turning the engine 180 degrees each time and setting would it be possible to feel air coming out of the hole if I have #1 cylinder on the exhaust stroke because of the valves being wrong?

These are not "by chance" adjustment, you need to be sure of engine position when making these settings.
 
Trent, sorry didn?t come back to this thread to check for replies. I generally try to assess all the possibilities the best I can when doing this long distance coaching. I assumed that you had the valves set correctly but it seems sometimes there is always room for error. Sounds like you should pull the valve cover and recheck the valve settings. You can use steinkamp and rustred?s recommendation to find No. 1 cylinder?s TDC by finding the overlap of No. 4 cylinder?s valves. So now with the valve cover off you can be certain of where No. 1 cylinder?s TDC is. I also made a small error in my other post, from the factory the orientation of the No. 1 cylinder?s spark plug wire terminal in the cap is actually closer to the 2 o?clock position. I hope you gleaned through the other replies and moved forward so you are already listening to the beautiful music of your freshly overhauled M.
 
your making no sense at all. do as i said and it will work out. appears you dont understand what i am saying. #1 cyl has to be on compression at TDC TO ADJUST VALVES, so #4 cyl is at TOP DEAD CENTRE ALSO, BUT ITS VALVES ARE ROCKING, MEANING WHEN YOU ROCK THE CRANK BACK AND FORTH THE VALVES DO THE SAME THING.
 

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