setting timing

The marks are on the lower edge of the lower timing belt cover, see (this link DOES work), second photo.

Mine has AC, and I loosen the AC belt and just let it hang free to check or set the ignition timing.

Paint your timing mark white to help see it. I also put some white paint on the 6 BTDC mark on the lower timing cover.

This link may also help.

Thanks Cusser.

I believe my problem is the BTDC markings are gone from my timing cover. I'll check tonight.

If so, I have an idea. When I aligned the marks on the distributor during installation, is that supposed to be 6 BTDC or TDC? If TDC, I could potentially do some measurements and adjust the distributor 6 degrees.

I broke out the timing light yesterday, and timed the truck. I noticed when I put the lower timing cover on, there was a mark on the "inside" right next to the harmonic balancer. That same mark was around where the pictures from MT showed the TDC markings. Also, I noticed my harmonic balancer had two notches, about a quarter of an inch from each other on the innermost part next to the engine (and timing cover).

From the adjustment after putting in the distributor and matching the markings, I simply had to turn it about 2 mm retarding the timing, and these marks lined up. Was there some difference in the TDC markings for an 87 B2000?

one is a mark that you use to set the engine to TDC, like for setting the distributor. The other mark is used to set the timing. Honestly I forget which one is which, as it has been FAR too long since I had a stock setup. I think you want the 'white' mark though for setting the timing.

Timing: Yellow mark on the left on pulley is TDC, clockwise of that the white mark is for timing.

Hey Cusser, that image looks familiar!

And now, some pictures of the alignment marks on the Mazda distributors!

This is a 1991 B2600i dist. but most of the other dist. are the same.



First, you want to get the engine setting at TDC on the #1 compression stroke.
Then you want to align these 2 marks to each other before you install the dist. into the dist. housing on the cylinder head.





Then you want to slide the dist. into it's hole while holding it in the exact position (the hold down bolt should be in the center of the adjustment slot on the dist. base) you want it to be in when it's fully inserted into the dist. hole and resting against the dist. housing, and ready to insert the hold down bolt(s).
You should have close to the same amount of adjustment, clockwise & counter-clockwise in the adjustment slot on the dist. base. Once you start inserting the dist. into the dist. hole, as the dist. gear meshes with the camshaft gear, the rotor will turn and the alignment "dots" on the dist. shaft (you won't be able to see them now since they are inside the dist. hole!) will no longer be aligned, BUT the rotor should now be pointing to the #1 spark plug tower on the dist. cap ( 9:00 o-clock position) if you were to lay the dist. cap in place.

Nice pics, guys! Thanks a bunch. I put my timing in between the two marks since I wasn't sure what each meant. I'll probably try to time it soon.

Again, thanks!

Earl - you don't know the hassle I went through to post that image here. I had long ago inserted that image into my "Word" tips file from your upload on the MT site. I hadn't saved it as an image on my computer. So I right-clicked the photo in Word, clicked "copy", opened up Paint, pasted it in, saved as .bmp, then uploaded it to Photobucket. Then I could click in the album there and get the Img code which I copied, then pasted it into this thread.

Easy for me to say.

Thanks for the confirmation Cusser