Sounds simple enough, how do you adjust your timing?

You will need a timing light, a ratchet wrench, a 7/16 inch socket for the ratchet, and some extensions for the ratchet.
Find your timing tab on the front of the timing chain cover and the mark on the damper. It helps to clean and paint the marks white. Hook the timing light up, make sure you connect the pickup on the light to the #1 spark plug wire (the cylinder closest to the radiator). Start the engine and check if you can see the timing marks with the light.

If you look down the side of your engine towards your distributor, you will see a little bolt head next to the base of the distributor towards the front of the car. Use the ratchet wrench to loosen this bolt. This allows you to turn the distributor. Rotating the distributor counter-clockwise advances the timing and rotating it clockwise retards the timing. Don't loosen the bolt too much, just enough to be able to turn the distributor. Once you can move the distributor with one hand, point the timing gun at the triming tab and adjust the timing until it is set at 10-12 degrees BTDC (before Top Dead Center). Now retighten the bolt next to the distributor.
Test drive the car and listen for pings / spark knock, readjust as needed.


Reed

Reed's post is right on. There is another way to do it though, and get real close if you don't have a timing light. It's the static timing method used by the old VW aircooled guys as outlined in John Muir's VW for Idiot's book. Take the distrib cap off, make sure the rotor is pointed to cyl #1 when the timing marks are lined up (BTDC). Hook a simple test light up- clip to neg. coil. Turn on ignition, rotate engine with a breaker bar, look at the test light with one end clipped to the neg coil and the other touching ground. If the engine is timed correctly the light will go on when the notch in the pulley lines up w/ the timing mark. If it's not correct, loosen and rotate the distributor, rotate the engine again until it's right.
This method is good if you don't have a timing light or you are putting a distrib into an engine for the first time with no previous reference.

I have set timing pretty close without a timing light by using the following method:
Rotate the engine to find TDC compression for #1 then place the mark where you want the timing, like at 10 degrees BTDC.

Pull-off the #1 spark plug wire and and install an extra spark plug into it, then ground the plug's body to the block in a way so you can see the electrode's air gap.

Loosen the distributor hold down bolt then turn-on the ignition switch. Rotate the distributor back and forth, you will see the spark jump the gap when the points / reluctor "triggers". Find the position where the spark fires and tighten the distributor at that place.
This is like the test light method above without having to rotate the engine a lot.
DD

Here's my two cent's worth...If you are trying to set the timing on a running engine, you need to remove and plug the vacuum advance hose going from the carb to the dist. Before you start the motor, twist off the vacuum hose from the vac. advance canister on the distributor, then plug it off ( I like a golf tee for this). This way you get a true Initial advance reading from your timing marks, without the added vacuum advance being "stacked onto" it. Plus, you can inspect the hose for a loose fit, cracks,swelling, and that way kill a possible vacuum leak in the process... hope this helps.

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Dare to be Different...

Not necessary on the \6. They all use ported vacuum.

If the hose is in the correct location. Any thing is possible. It is best to disconnect and plug the hose.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Here's one for you guys: When setting the distributor, point it to plug #1 at the front of the engine right... BUT... which POINT on the distributor should be used, the slotted section? Keep in mind that when you put the rotor on, it's now OPPOSITE to that point.

MTV

Point taken, but with a standard \6 carb that only has one vaccum hose, it is not necessary to remove and plug that hose to set the timing.

Where #1 is located on the distributor is rather arbitrary. By convention, it is located next to the vacuum canister. The most important thing is that the firing order be followed correctly.