How to mark your crank pulley for timing?

[RoWaMe]

When installing an 009 distrib. onto my FI-to-carbs Fasty engine, the only degree timing reference marks are near TDC: 10, 7, 5 and 0. In order to determine total advance at 3000 rpms or so, I need to have some "ballpark" method to mark the pulley. What I did was to take a sliding vernier caliper, position it inside the cooling shroud and measured the distance from the 0 to the 10 degree mark. Then I transferred this distance to the top of the nubs on the pulley outer rim from the 10 degree mark, applying a paint mark at each nub. Certainly inexact... Anyone have a more accurate method? I cannot use a conventional type 1 degree ring since the T3 pulley is larger, and you cannot read the ring from straight-down.

Thanks.

[Bobnotch]

Ro, it sounds like you've got the right idea about the nub marks. If I remember right, 2.5 nubs over will give about 30*. You could always use a dial back timing light, then you could read it at the zero mark. I ended up getting one of those myself, when I was working on some distibutor swapping. Marc suggested it to me, and I've found it invaluable. I hope this helps.

[KitCarlson]

Measure the pulley circumference (distance around outer edge) with a tape measure. This is 360 degrees. Since 30 * 12 = 360, if you divide the circumference by 12 you will have the measurement for 30 degrees. Make a mark that distance to the right of TDC (0).

If you divide the circumference by 360 you have the distance per degree.

This method can be used on any engine.
Kit

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[RoWaMe]

Makes sense, Kit! I need to tear the engine down soon so I can do just that to the pulley. At the time the engine was all together and in the car so it was clumsy to try to measure in the small opening for the generator.

[Eric S]

Kinda hard to measure when the car is all together. You can measure the diameter and multiply by pi though. Is the mark at tdc for sure? I need to mark mine too. I'd like to use a traingular file to cut a small groove and paint it orange or something.