First off I can find no ball on the flywheel looking from underneath with the cover pan removed, and turning it with the flywheel teeth & a screwdriver.... Then I looked four different times through the little window at the pointer, with a flashlight as I lightly bumped the starter, rotating it about 1" each bump... never saw a ball or a bump at the end of the pointer. I looked with bright light at the entire front surface of the flywheel, from underneath.. while rotating it with screwdriver, can not see any ball...

So, I have tried doing a static timing, by bumping the starter, while watching the #6 valves springs/rockers.... rotating until the #6 exhaust valve is just closing, (rocker all the way up) and at that moment the intake valve is just Opening (rocker just starting to go down)..... Then I look at the #1 rockers/valves and the are both closed (rockers loose from valve stem)....

Now I have noticed that the #6 & #1 valves/rockers seem to always line up, as mentioned above... SEVERAL times in this configuration in ONE full Revolution of the flywheel......
Question; How do I know which alignment of this configuration do I set the distributor rotor to # 1 post/wire.....????

Here Is what I have done thus far..... Rebuilt carb (tested by Dean Echols to run as set), rebuilt fuel pump with modern diaphragm), New plugs AC Delco R45 ....set at .32 (are these plugs correct??) New solid core plug wires, new Dis cap and rotor and I have tried 3 new condensers......
Cranking with the choke pulled all the way out... Nothing .... cranking with the choke open, and short spay of starting fluid.... nothing... cranking with gas pedal 1/4 depressed... Nothing..... cranking and choking with hand on carb,,, Nothing.... all these were tried at different times on different days after sitting all night
Before I cranked each time I checked for good spark at the plugs... got good spark also good spark at points & end of big coil wire... Why won't it Fire...??? Why won't it Run for me...???? any help would be appreciated.

I think it is next to impossible to watch the valve operation by bumping the starter. Depending on the piston location in a cylinder when under compression it can "settle" after the "bump" . When you inspected the flywheel for the ball did you notice any marks at all? such as UDC. And have you done a compression test???

While you are underneath rotating the flywheel with a screwdriver, scrape and scrub the front face of the flywheel clean as you go.
Sometimes the ball and other marks are level full of grime and can't be seen until you clean things up.
Been there and done that.

Hope you find what you are looking for!

I don't know about 1933-36 engines but the earlier six cylinders have a line with U on one side and C on the other [ UIC ] to indicate "Upper Center" and 1I2 to indicate 12 deg. advance mark. They do not have a ball or circle.

Bumping the starter does rotate the cam, and the valve stems go up and down with the rockers.. when a rocker & spring are completely compressed the valve is fully open... as the rocker starts back up the valve starts closing... I don't see how it can matter how the cam is rotated (by hand crank, starter or screwdriver on flywheel) , It seems all the same... cam turns, push rod moves the rocker, the rocker pushes down on the valve stem... the valve begins to open....
So my question again... if there is more than one sequence of #6 & #1 valves being in the 'correct' location, to indicate #1 TDC...... aside from the 'ball & pointer, how do I know which one to use to set my timing at the distributor...?

I will wire brush and totally clean the front face of the flywheel in the morning... although it looks real clean as it is... with no grim or dirt showing on it now...

Remove all but #1 sparkplug. Loosen that one a few turns. Now turn the crankshaft until you notice resistance and hear air hissing past that plug. Now you know it is coming up to #1 firing sequence. Your rotor should be near the #1 firing position.

The pistons a rise and fall in pairs 1&6 5&2 3&4 but the cam turns at half the speed of the crank which means the same valve position occurs only in 2 full turns of the crank. When doing setting a distributor base timing I turn the engine by the fan that way you have a more precise view of what the valve position is.
Tony

Sunny,
When your engine started and ran for a few seconds, your timing had to be close at that time. If you have not changed it since then, I would leave it alone and look at other things. What other things? I don't have any suggestions.

Mike

Most important is finding the ball on the flywheel.

Could Someone post a photo of a ball on the flywheel..?? Is the ball simply a circle scribed into the flywheel...? is the ball a round, raised, bump on the flywheel...?? what does it look like...?? To find the ball on my flywheel today... I have to remove the bottom pan that covers the flywheel and remove the cross member so I can remove the front pan that covers the front of the flywheel... then rotate the flywheel with a screw driver and wire brush the flywheel front face to locate the elusive 'Ball'...
A Photo would be very helpful .... in knowing what I am looking for....

That is a poor idea as it can cause bending and throw the fan balance off. If that happens the fan can break while the car is running and damage parts or humans!

The ball is a BEBE imbeded into the flywheel . Located on the outter rim of the flywheel.
It is more work but if you remove the spark plugs so the engine turns over easily turn the engine over by hand and use a flash light to look in the opening is the bell housing and watch for the ball to come around. The ball comes around twice and the correct time to get it is at the correct time is when it is visable and both valves are closed on number one cylinder. Every other time when if comes around BOTH valves will NOT be open. .

Do you know where the timing hole on the flywheel housing is?

1934 Master

Thae pictures are the front of the bell housing, right side, down low,

Good news... It started right up after a few revolutions.... attached video of it running for the first time in over 50 years.....
Here is what I did this morning.... pulled all the plugs so it would turn over easier by hand.... pulled off the starter so I could access the flywheel teeth better... and see the outer, front, edge of the flywheel better.... then I used a small wire brush and some lacquer thinner to clean the edge of the flywheel... looking for the ball, while rotating the flywheel a few teeth at a time....
And I FOUND IT.....
It is actually a ball bearing, recessed into the lip on the flywheel.... and there are two engraved marks before ( |0 ), and after (0| ) the ball.... (see photo) so I put a dab of white paint before and after these marks.. to make it easier to find & see through the little timing window....
So, I used the screwdriver to line it up with the pointer... (see 2nd photo).... then, looked at the valves/rockers on #1 cylinder... and they were both closed... so I looked at the rotor in the distributor and it was pointing way before #1 post/wire... almost pointing at the previous post... (see third photo,#1 marked white ) So I pulled the distributor out again, rotated it to align properly, and aligned the dist. shaft with the oil pump shaft and reinserted.... hooked it all back up... and she fired right up with the choke pulled out...

I ran it for about ten minutes.. waiting for it to heat up and the thermostat to open..... I do not have it plumbed to the radiator yet.
I have Evaporust soaking in the head for the past 3 months and a piece of clear plastic tubing (1 1/4" dia ) hooked up to the lower & upper hose inlet & outlet on the engine, with a section of panty hose inserted inside the upper tubing..... so I wanted the stat to open and circulate that rust remover through the panty hose filter....
The gauge moved on up to 160 and the thermostat opened and it did circulate.. BUT there was a strong leak on my lower hose connection.. so I shut the engine down..... one very happy man here.....
I did discover that my amp gauge did not move... and my fuel gauge is always on full and my oil pressure was at 15 lbs at a high idle... when I went to turn the ignition switch off .. it wouldn't turn the engine off.... so I turned the big disconnect switch of on my ground wire from the battery.... I must have my new wiring harness wired up wrong under the dash... or my fuel gauge and Amp gauges are shot.... I know the ignition switch is the wrong one from a jeep.. and it could be either wired wrong or shot as well.... There is a wire that goes from the ignition switch (on position) to the ammeter... I could have those wrong (thus it kept running when I turned the key off... Anyway... moving forward now... many other things to get right...

It would not accept my video of it running...

WITH THE GEAR PUMP IT IS NORMAL TO GET 30 POUNDS OF PRESSURE UNTIL THE OIL WARMS UP.

No I can sleep tonight

That is great news! I know it was a very difficult journey. You can be pleased with your success.

Thanking all of you guys who helped me through this process.. of getting an old, neglected car running again.. I will have many other situations and questions for you all, in the near future, as I get deeper involved in getting this car on the road as a frequent Driver..... next I need to get all the gauges working and the battery charging and the brakes working as they should.... my 1934 repair manual will help.. but your advice based on your experience is invaluable for me... Thanks again, Sunny

Congratulation on the startup, and thanks for sharing all your diagnosing in detail, it lets all the tips and tricks from the experts, learn something to us all.

Glad to hear you have her purring.

Mike

J Franklin
In 45 years as a mechanic and using the fan as a slow speed cranking device I dont know of any of the fans failing afterwards, do know of others failing though, I do understand what you are saying though.
Tony

Hi Tony, It maybe depends on how easy the engine will turn. Yes I have done it and never lost a fan, but I don't do it now. I know others that had fans go through the hood or radiator and these parts are getting older and more expensive to find and repair. It is something we should at least pause and consider. Hey anyway, we know these old Chevrolets are tougher than most other makes! Take care and enjoy your Springtime.

If you put pressure in the normal direction (no force to front or rear) I dont see a problem especially with a metal fan. The later plastic fans often had a thermo controlled centre hub and didnt work as as crank but did have a big problem with blades becoming dislodged.
Tony

Congratulations from a fellow '34 Master owner. Who needs TV when these threads were FAR more suspenseful, exciting, and rewarding.