Finding Top Dead Center - TDC

Using a U-Tube manometer to find top dead center

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• timing
• TDC
• top
• dead
• center
• piston

[xxLiquidX]

As creative as this is, you could have gotten a dial indicator. Interesting none-the-less.

[wyosyclone]

@xxLiquidX

Yup, dial indicators work great for certain motors.. not for the 4.3 though, unless you've got the heads off :)

[Abbi325]

or not spend any money and use your oil dip stick, find cyl number 1- remove spark plug - use your oil dip stick, and stick it down the cyl whole- have a buddy turn the crank - there dtc and bdc. bdc will push the oil stick up and almost all the way. but if you keep turning the crank will see the tdc will push the oil stick a lil more and bam.... free...

[wyosyclone]

@Abbi325

stick anything into the sparkplug hole of a 4.3 and about the only thing you hit is the opposite cylinder wall. Believe me, I tried all the obvious methods that have been used for decades. I needed something very accurate and something that I could do on my own.

[chrisbuffoni]

This is genius, very creative! I'm also curious though, why did you wire the throttle open?

[wyosyclone]

@chrisbuffoni Thanks for the comment. Actually, I had the throttle wired open do to a subsequent test - I made a simple adaptor to connect my air compressor to the intake of the motor. I pressurized the intake to 20lbs (my boost level) in order to check for leaks in all vac lines and intake gaskets. It's simple but effective.

[lb90802]

i sed this during my 96 civic head swap. i needed to find top dead center before removing the heads. thanks 1,000,000!!!!!!!!!!

[axenz1]

The easy way is by putting long screw driver on no 1 plug hole and turn the crankshaft. The piston will push the screw driver up to show TDC.

[bitetyson]

That is really cool man. Doesn't help me any because i have a Civic but that is still awesome! lol

[watchforfinger]

why did you wire open the throttle ? just curious