# Adjust timing

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/adjust-timing/19732>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [September 18, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adjust-timing/19732 "2008-09-18T17:57:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lolivarez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@lolivarez](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lolivarez)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adjust-timing/19732/1 "2008-09-18T17:57:28Z")

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what is the best way to adjust timing if my chevy 350 engine is not running?

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adjust-timing/19732/2 "2008-09-18T18:10:14Z")

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What type of ignition system? Points, HEI, Factory, aftermarket, What?

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**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adjust-timing/19732/3 "2008-09-18T18:15:57Z")

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The engine needs to be running before you try adjusting timing. Can’t do it otherwise.

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adjust-timing/19732/4 "2008-09-18T18:17:35Z")

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Well, if it’s points you can, but doubt that’s the situation here. Is it, Lolivarz?

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**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adjust-timing/19732/5 "2008-09-19T01:33:14Z")

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If it has a distributor, it can be timed without the engine running and without a timing light. I do it all the time. Just need to know what type of distributor.

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**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GreasyJack)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adjust-timing/19732/6 "2008-09-19T04:25:06Z")

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Loosen the distributor nut, note where the #1 terminal is on the distributor cap is and then take it off. Pull the #1 plug and put your finger over the hole while you (or an assistant) rotate the engine until you feel pressure coming out of the hole. Rotate it another few degrees and you should be pretty close to top dead center on the compression stroke. Now look over at the distributor and rotate it until the rotor is pointing at where the #1 terminal will sit when you put the cap back on. Tighten the nut, replace the cap, reinstall the plug and it should start up.

Note that this is just a get it close method-- once it’s running you’ll need to reset it with a timing light. There are other methods to more precisely time it non-running that you can do if you don’t have a timing light, which I suspect Caddyman and Kieth are raring to tell you once you tell them what kind of ignition set up you’ve got.