Expert: Dick Benjamin - 11/21/2008

Question
A friend is putting a timing chain set in a 1950 ford car with what we think is a 232 inline 6 cyl engine.Were not sure about lining up timing marks.Any help and maybe a diagram would be greatly appreciated.Thanks

Answer
The engine should be a flathead 226 Cu In for 1950.  If you have the head off, you can measure the  stroke to determine which engine you have. The stroke should be 4 13/32" (4.406").   Other engines that might be in there have a shorter stroke (3.297").  These are the 52 and later engines up to the last of the flathead 6s, in 1957. These are 215 and 223 Cu In. engines.

If it is an overhead valve engine, it would be a 58 or later engine, and could be a 223, 240 and so forth up to the 300 Cu In engine.  If it has an overhead valve engine, write back and we'll see how to determine what you have.  That will affect the timing chain set-up.

Assuming it is a flathead engine, then, the procedure is to set the two timing gear marks so that they point up to the right (viewed from the front of the engine) at a 45 degree angle, approximately (this isn't critical), and with the chain under tension on the upper right side of the chain path, count the pins in the timing chain links between the two timing marks on the pulleys.  There should be 12 pins between them. Some books say 13 pins is also OK.  In either case, you will have seven links of the chain between the marks, counting the ones over the marks.

You can double check the valve timing by noting when the intake valve on #1 cylinder just begins to open - it should happen when the timing mark on the crank pulley is 11 degrees before TDC.

I'm sorry, I have no way to send you a picture or drawing.

Dick