merc 850 timing help needed !

[mercuryman48]

Hey guys. I have a 850 merc that i replaced the timing belt on and now cant get it straight...When putting back together i brought the #1 cyclinder to TDC and installed the flywheel with the pointer at the 0 degree mark on the flywheel label. By the book your supposed to put the magneto pully mark to line up with the straight line on the flywheel....When i do this my distributor rotor is pointing straight away from the #1 Tower on the dist. cap and is pointing at the #2 tower...and it will not fire....So....i double checked my TDC and rotated the magneto pully (with belt removed so as not to disturb TDC) until the rotor points directly at Tower #1....it starts but is at extremely high idle and wont go under throttle ...dies under load ...any ideas ....getting bloodshot eyes and the twitches here !...lol....thanks ahead of time for all your input

 

[Chris1956]

Re: merc 850 timing help needed !

OK, With the top cylinder at TDC, rotate the distributor pulley until the cast arrow points to the punch mark on the flywheel, and install the belt. This will be the correct timing. The rotor should point to a bit past the #1 contact.

If it dosen't line up, make sure the dissy cap is on correctly. They need to seat, and only do this in one spot.

 

[mercuryman48]

Re: merc 850 timing help needed !

Thanks for the reply....now, when the "punch" mark (on my flywheel its 3 vertical punch marks ...is this what you mean ?) is lined up with the center of the crankshaft and the center of the distributor (as described in seloc manual) the timing pointer is nowhere close to the 0 degree mark on the timing label and the engine is NOT at TDC at this setting
Here is what im thinking of doing next .....Remove flywheel, bring #1 cyclinder to TDC, replace flywheel with the punch mark (straight line) lined up with center of crank and center of distributor shaft, rotate dist pulley until the arrow points to punch mark.....Does this sound correct !....because at this point the timing pointer would not be anywhere close to the 0 degree mark on the timing label....hope this isnt confusing ....im thinking someone in the past has "shade treeed " this thing

 

[Yepblaze]

Re: merc 850 timing help needed !

Remove #1 plug and watch piston to verify TDC (a dial indicator, or simple probe may help).

See that the mark on flywheel, and the mark on the dist pully,(sometimes under a metal disc) all line up.