need help timing motor

Pulled my 99 355 engine out everything went great thanks to the posts here. Was wondering if anyone in southern California could help with the timing. I have read many threads just scared to do it myself. Wanted to get belts on in the next week if possible. Grant

 

Hello Grant:

Listen man, if you managed to get this far, you can do the rest. Believe in yourself. I know they say that degree wheel is important and I do agree with it. If you have the degree wheel, follow the directions in the other posts and you should come very close to the factory markings. That should be a sign that you are going in the right direction. I have done timing on other cars but not on a Ferrari yet.

Good luck
Steve

 

You can do it Grant.

Here is a d.i.y. fatbillybob posted on degreeing/timing the cams http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148917 Mind you it's for a 348, but the principals are the same.

If you did all the other stuff you can time your cams.

 

one suggestion: choose the center line method.

 

Or you can mark the belts and mark the pulleys and then transfer the marks to the new belts by laying them over the old ones, this will never fail you.

 

thanks guys I really appreciate all the support. This might be a stupid question but I am sure I have to take the outside pulley off the crank shaft any suggestions how to hold the crank from turning. When I timed my superbike years ago I used nylon rope down the piston but I have since heard that can be hard on connecting rods. This is also the reason I am scared I timed my superbike 2 times once 3 more horsepower second time pistons hit valves. If this happens I will be extremely upset.

 

Ingersol Rand 1/2 impact wrench, with a 36mm impact socket, crank the air pressure way up, and zap away.

 

I think this isgoing to be my nomination for understatement of the year.

 

I'd be scared to do this too. You should post about your experience when you are done.

 

ya I will I will check everything today or tomorrow on the existing belts, add some marks just for backup, and then try one at a time I guess. One last question before the plunge into the Abyss. Does it matter what cylinder or cam to time the engine to my thoughts (I hope I have a clear head) are that it does not matter as long as the cams are for the cylinder that TDC was measured. The reason I ask is I thought I read something about not using #1 because its timed different that the others. Does anyone know if this is true because this doesn't really make sense to me.
Thanks all

Grant

 

My understanding is you start timing using #1 or #4 at tdc, then for the other bank #5 or #8 at tdc. The way the cylinders are numbered on my 348 I would use tdc of #1 & #8 because those postons are closest to the crank pulley.

 

It does not matter what cylinder to use on each bank as long as the cylinder is top dead center.