MTFCA Forum

I’ve been having some issues with my T — you can check my last post for the full story if you’d like — but I feel like I may have finally pinned it down (at least I hope so).

I decided to check the timing, and when I brought cylinder #1 just past TDC, there was no spark there. Instead, cylinder #4 was sparking. So I took apart my new Day timer and saw that the brush is in the bottom right corner, making contact with #4, instead of being in the top left, making contact with #1.

I then checked the timing gear to make sure the timing marks were lined up — and they were.

So now I don’t know what to do, lol. I can’t change the brush position because of where the pin goes that holds the timer housing on. So I’m stumped for now.

Any help is really appreciated — thank you guys in advance!

You dont happen to have an early cam with the pin hole thru? That would put you out 180 degrees.
Are you really @ tdc #1?? Make sure both valves are closed as you reach TDC.
Intake just closed & exh is about to open.

John has the answer I believe. I've seen this many times. My 1917's camshaft is that way. I put a small mark on the end of the camshaft showing the correct alignment to reduce the risk of installing it 180°

Repeating what these guys just told you in a different way. Make sure #1 piston is coming up on the compression stroke then check that your commutator roller or flapper is near the #1 post. Then set your timing.

rickd wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 25, 2025 8:19 pm

Repeating what these guys just told you in a different way. Make sure #1 piston is coming up on the compression stroke then check that your commutator roller or flapper is near the #1 post. Then set your timing.

There's the key words in this sentence...

My pinhole on the cam doesn’t go all the way through I swish it did that would make things a whole lot easier the brush is 180 no matter what I’m thinking I can maybe just put the wires on the timer or the coils backwards from what they should be for an easy fix

You've convinced yourself that a car that previously ran, but with a miss on #1 has now suddenly completely flipped the firing from #1 to #4 when at TDC...hmmmmm.

I'll reiterate what a few astute people have already stated, but in different words: This is a 4 stroke engine, meaning that each piston reaches "TDC" twice during each complete cycle. You have obviously mistaken #1 TDC exhaust for TDC ignition...and as a result, you are finding #4 throwing a spark when you are absolutely convinced it shouldn't. If #1 is at TDC of exhaust stroke, #4 absolutely WILL be throwing a spark.

I'll submit that everything is very likely fine with respect to this "issue".

If your car went from "running" to OMG EVERYTHING"S SCREWED UP!!! then I think you're simply investigating a simple issue without fully understanding how things work. That's OK. We've all been there. Invest in the FORD Service Manual, study it, and figure out what the root cause of your trouble is. If it ran once, your trouble is certainly not going to lurk within the timing gears or any other mysteriously hidden corners of the car, so do yourself a favor and stop pulling random things off of the engine, especially when someone eventually says "take the head off and have a look around!"

FORD made 15 Million Model Ts and at the present time, there are at least twice that many experts, so if you're looking for opinions, you'll get them. Read the manual, think about your problem, and resist the urge to follow down every Rabbit Hole people will inevitably point you toward.

Scott_Conger wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 26, 2025 3:19 pm

.....and resist the urge to follow down every Rabbit Hole people will inevitably point you toward.

THIS ^^^^^

I cannot tell you how many times a thread on Corvette Forum starts with a bad plug wire, and by the end everyone says pull the engine.

It's just something stupid simple as Scott said.

Jeffrey, what else would you expect from Chev owners?

Allan from down under.

@allan You asked for it, you got it, “T”. That’s all i got!

Did you re-wire your car or change your plug wires or rebuild your coil box and put things back together incorrectly perhaps? As you are sitting in the drivers seat, coil # 1 is on the right and coil # 4 is on the left…

Your previous post claimed you were running a roller timer. Now you have a new day. Changing to the newday requires a reset of the timing. brush/roller/contact timing is very different between the 2. Thats done by a rebending of the timer rod.
That & I believe you are not actually looking & tdc on compression stroke may be the issue.

"FORD made 15 Million Model Ts and at the present time, there are at least twice that many experts,"
That was a good one!!

Some New Day Timers have a number by each terminal and the numbers are just going around like clock numbers and they will cause you to put the wires in the wrong order.

1 and 2 might be right or 3 and 4 might be wrong.

FYI - firing order is 1,2,4,3 going c.c.w. on the timer but as John mentioned, standing at the radiator, #1 is on your left & #4 is on your right.

Have we scared off the OP?