WW2N

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The last thing I ever want to do is give someone a wrong answer to a fix. I posted on the location of TDC on that fellow with the absence of a timing hole. I said just use a piece of wire, and you said easier said then done. In 40 years I had to kit the magnito 4 times and it was set to fire on #1.So I had to find TDC on 1 or it would not start much less run, if your off 1 tooth on a side mount dist she wont go.so my wire method had to be correct. Well now you got me to thinking--------- after you said easier said then done and today I went out and found TDC with both thumb and wire both work with the hand crank on my 43 2N. However rather then a pure vertical angle of attack, its done at about 70 degree of R/A give or take AOA. Give it a try if ya get a chance and let me know what ya think, if Im wrong I been real lucky for 40 yrs and I would sooner be lucky then good, or maybe I was never told it wouldnt work lol.
 
(quoted from post at 02:04:51 06/04/18) The last thing I ever want to do is give someone a wrong answer to a fix. I posted on the location of TDC on that fellow with the absence of a timing hole. I said just use a piece of wire, and you said easier said then done. In 40 years I had to kit the magnito 4 times and it was set to fire on #1.So I had to find TDC on 1 or it would not start much less run, if your off 1 tooth on a side mount dist she wont go.so my wire method had to be correct. Well now you got me to thinking--------- after you said easier said then done and today I went out and found TDC with both thumb and wire both work with the hand crank on my 43 2N. However rather then a pure vertical angle of attack, its done at about 70 degree of R/A give or take AOA. Give it a try if ya get a chance and let me know what ya think, if Im wrong I been real lucky for 40 yrs and I would sooner be lucky then good, or maybe I was never told it wouldnt work lol.
ell, Sir, I have spent many hours trying several different ways (~6) to ID TDC on 9Ns and the wire method was a 'not successful' method. If you achieved success with it, I say good for you! I have tried manometers, your wire, Dave Smiths Ohmmeter method, balloon, applied air pressure, fill cylinder with oil and observe for increase/decrease in oil level at plug hole, kid's Mr. Bubble around a loose spark plug hole & look for bubbles, etc., but none are as easy and accurate as "on the rock" valve movement of cylinder #4 for finding #1 TDC. You can both see & feel the intake & exhaust valve movement thru the spark plug hole. As I said, If you achieved success with your wire feeler, I say good for you!
 
Here is a accurate and easy way to find TDC on a front mount N with a wire.I use a piece of 12 gauge copper wire or even a piece of #9 wire bent on the end between a L and a J shape so it will go through the plug hole over past 1/2 way of the piston diameter under the dropped part of the head.Rotate engine over by hand till the wire is trapped between the piston and the head till it stops the crank from turning.At that time find a crankshaft pulley reference point,or even a wire pointer bolted to the engine then mark the pulley with a mark at that position. Then holding the wire in the same place in the plug hole,rotate the crank in the opposite direction till it stops again then mark the pulley again.TDC is exactly between the two marks. Make a permanent mark on the pulley so you can find it in the future.
 
(quoted from post at 11:53:21 06/04/18) Here is a accurate and easy way to find TDC on a front mount N with a wire.I use a piece of 12 gauge copper wire or even a piece of #9 wire bent on the end between a L and a J shape so it will go through the plug hole over past 1/2 way of the piston diameter under the dropped part of the head.Rotate engine over by hand till the wire is trapped between the piston and the head till it stops the crank from turning.At that time find a crankshaft pulley reference point,or even a wire pointer bolted to the engine then mark the pulley with a mark at that position. Then holding the wire in the same place in the plug hole,rotate the crank in the opposite direction till it stops again then mark the pulley again.TDC is exactly between the two marks. Make a permanent mark on the pulley so you can find it in the future.
hat sounds good. Have you actually done this?
 
Yes I have many times then you have a permanent true TDC mark to go by,It is just like a positive stop piston stop.It is easy to do and works great to find true TDC try it next time you need to find TDC,oh and it dosen't have to be on the compression stroke to find TDC of a cylinder.
 
(quoted from post at 12:51:44 06/04/18) Yes I have many times then you have a permanent true TDC mark to go by,It is just like a positive stop piston stop.It is easy to do and works great to find true TDC try it next time you need to find TDC,oh and it dosen't have to be on the compression stroke to find TDC of a cylinder.
like it. One I didn't think of. Just didn't remember how narrow that squish height got.
 
(quoted from post at 00:04:51 06/04/18) The last thing I ever want to do is give someone a wrong answer to a fix. I posted on the location of TDC on that fellow with the absence of a timing hole. I said just use a piece of wire, and you said easier said then done. In 40 years I had to kit the magnito 4 times and it was set to fire on #1.So I had to find TDC on 1 or it would not start much less run, if your off 1 tooth on a side mount dist she wont go.so my wire method had to be correct. Well now you got me to thinking--------- after you said easier said then done and today I went out and found TDC with both thumb and wire both work with the hand crank on my 43 2N. However rather then a pure vertical angle of attack, its done at about 70 degree of R/A give or take AOA. Give it a try if ya get a chance and let me know what ya think, if Im wrong I been real lucky for 40 yrs and I would sooner be lucky then good, or maybe I was never told it wouldnt work lol.

when i WAS IN THE army WORKING ON PISTON DRIVEN HELICOPTER ENGINE, WE HAD WHAT WAS CALLED A TIME RITE INDICATOR. It had a lever on it that went into the cylinder and a housing that screwed into the plug hole. the lever was bent to reach the piston as would be required on out tractors. It was on the same idea as a wire. We had to get it dead on and then set two magnetos to fire at the same time. Each cylinder had two spark plugs and they had to be time together. timing marks are much easier!
 
63.213.47):

In Reply to: Finding Top Dead Center? posted by Jerry (Loudon, NH) on November 30, 2001 at 06:21:24:

If you want to know how to find the exact top dead center you will have to have a B1 timing light.

When I was a radial engine mechanic in the USAF this is the tool we used to find TDC.

You installed it in the sparkplug hole of the cylinder you were trying to get to TDC and with the propellar turned the engine until the light on the remote battery powered box lighted. The thingy in the spark plug hole had a plunger that made contact with the piston when it reached near TDC. At the instant that you saw the light come on while very slowly turning the prop you looked into an inspection hole in the side of the engine and observed the number showing there. Then you continued to turn the engine in the same direction unitl the light went off. Then you observed what number was in view at the inspection hole. Then you turned the engine back half the amount of numbers that had passed the inspection hole while the B1 timing light was lit.

Then you had Top Dead Center and you could adjust the valves on that particular cylinder.

If you are only trying to get it to top dead center for installing the distributor or adjusting the valve just put the old finger in the hole of No.1 cylinder and turn the engine over till it blows the finger off the hole and then use a piece of wire to find when the piston comes all the way up
 
(quoted from post at 16:40:48 06/04/18) 63.213.47):

In Reply to: Finding Top Dead Center? posted by Jerry (Loudon, NH) on November 30, 2001 at 06:21:24:

If you want to know how to find the exact top dead center you will have to have a B1 timing light.

When I was a radial engine mechanic in the USAF this is the tool we used to find TDC.

You installed it in the sparkplug hole of the cylinder you were trying to get to TDC and with the propellar turned the engine until the light on the remote battery powered box lighted. The thingy in the spark plug hole had a plunger that made contact with the piston when it reached near TDC. At the instant that you saw the light come on while very slowly turning the prop you looked into an inspection hole in the side of the engine and observed the number showing there. Then you continued to turn the engine in the same direction unitl the light went off. Then you observed what number was in view at the inspection hole. Then you turned the engine back half the amount of numbers that had passed the inspection hole while the B1 timing light was lit.

Then you had Top Dead Center and you could adjust the valves on that particular cylinder.

If you are only trying to get it to top dead center for installing the distributor or adjusting the valve just put the old finger in the hole of No.1 cylinder and turn the engine over till it blows the finger off the hole and then use a piece of wire to find when the piston comes all the way up

"If you want to know how to find the exact top dead center you will have to have a B1 timing light. " Got a picture of one of those in use on an N tractor engine? Like to see how to use it.
 

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