Dial indicator ?

[Mlitt12345]

I gutted out a spark plug and used a $14 harbor freight dial indicator to make my own dial indicator for my 150hp merc....My question is how long does the pointer need to be? Does it matter, the pointer on this one is 7/8 inch long sticking out past the threads of the gutted spark plug....Thanks Mike

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Dial indicator ?

What are you trying to make?
if your looking just to find TDC of the piston, then as long as it is longer than the plug, the follower only sticking into the chamber then it should work fine.

 

[daveswaves]

Re: Dial indicator ?

Should work just fine, I made a similar one with a shorter dial indicator and it does a good job with TDC.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Dial indicator ?

Most dial indicators of your type have a typical measured travel of 1". The setting you are attemting to do starts at .600 before TDC. Take the piston to TDC. Zero the gauge dial and rotate counter clockwise to .600 then clockwise to .462 or whatever your flywheel says.

.600 is a .100 over a 1/2 inch and that is the minimum that you need compressed when the gauges is reading TDC. I have a 3" extension on mine just be careful not to bottom out the gauge or you risk knocking it out of calibration.

 

[Mlitt12345]

Re: Dial indicator ?

Thanks for the replies its my first time doing this and I wanted to make sure it was long enough, I'm coming about 4 inches ATDC from the .462 mark, my pointer on the plastic flywheel cover does not have enough adjustment to line up to it. Do I need to re-index the flywheel to get it in range of my timing pointer? Also the flywheel is keyed so how do I move it, will removing the eight bolts do it? Thanks Mike

 

[daveswaves]

Re: Dial indicator ?

Thanks for the replies its my first time doing this and I wanted to make sure it was long enough, I'm coming about 4 inches ATDC from the .462 mark, my pointer on the plastic flywheel cover does not have enough adjustment to line up to it. Do I need to re-index the flywheel to get it in range of my timing pointer? Also the flywheel is keyed so how do I move it, will removing the eight bolts do it? Thanks Mike

It is possible that the flywheel has been taken apart and put back together wrong. Your pointer should have enough adjustment to point to the mark. Do a check at TDC as well, there should be a mark on the flywheel for that. If you do not line up then it would appear that someone has removed the 8 bolts before

 

[sschefer]

Re: Dial indicator ?

It is possible that the flywheel has been taken apart and put back together wrong. Your pointer should have enough adjustment to point to the mark. Do a check at TDC as well, there should be a mark on the flywheel for that. If you do not line up then it would appear that someone has removed the 8 bolts before

I've never seen it but I've heard it and can see why people think that's how you remove the flywheel. It would make me suspicous and I would be looking around for other signs of tampering (oops should I have said repairs).

 

[daveswaves]

Re: Dial indicator ?

I've never seen it but I've heard it and can see why people think that's how you remove the flywheel. It would make me suspicous and I would be looking around for other signs of tampering (oops should I have said repairs).

It is usually attempted by someone trying to change the stator.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Dial indicator ?

It is usually attempted by someone trying to change the stator.

Yup.. Wonder if they were successful.

 

[Mlitt12345]

Re: Dial indicator ?

I found TDC with my dial indicator, zero'd the guage, went ccw past .462 by 1/4 inch or so on the guage then went back cw to .462 I then made a index mark on the block as a reference and removed the eight bolts on the flywheel and moved it aprox 2 holes to get the .462 mark on the flywheel to my ref mark on the block, torqued the flywheel down, now the .462 was within range of my pointer so I repeated all the steps again to get the pointer aligned. Thats as far as I got today, tomorrow I will use the timing light on it to set the timing will post results tomorrow. Thanks for all the help and replies......Mike

 

[daveswaves]

Re: Dial indicator ?

I found TDC with my dial indicator, zero'd the guage, went ccw past .462 by 1/4 inch or so on the guage then went back cw to .462 I then made a index mark on the block as a reference and removed the eight bolts on the flywheel and moved it aprox 2 holes to get the .462 mark on the flywheel to my ref mark on the block, torqued the flywheel down, now the .462 was within range of my pointer so I repeated all the steps again to get the pointer aligned. Thats as far as I got today, tomorrow I will use the timing light on it to set the timing will post results tomorrow. Thanks for all the help and replies......Mike

Sounds like you are on track.

 

[Mlitt12345]

Re: Dial indicator ?

The timing was a Success, I learned something new and I saved $$$ doing it myself with your help....Thanks, Mike