Opinions on this spark plug issue please...

[89Suburban]

 

[Old77]

 

[Jims86]

Yep, that works too, but then many people can't get the valve spring back on, so I don't suggest that but it does work. I only use the finger over the hole to find the compression stroke when dead sticking timing the dizzy to get it running. Or if the valve cover is off, you don't even need to do that. You know which stroke its on by looking at the valves. If both are closed and piston is up, there is your compression stroke.

But not necessarily TDC. I usually got the spring back on by holding the valve up by hand, and shoving some small rope into the cylinder through the hole, and bring the piston up so the rope holds the valve up, while re installing the spring....gotta do it when replacing valve stem seals. You can use a constant source of compressed air too, you just need the proper fitting to connect the air to the spark plug hole.

 

[HotRodPC]

But not necessarily TDC. I usually got the spring back on by holding the valve up by hand, and shoving some small rope into the cylinder through the hole, and bring the piston up so the rope holds the valve up, while re installing the spring....gotta do it when replacing valve stem seals. You can use a constant source of compressed air too, you just need the proper fitting to connect the air to the spark plug hole.

Yes, but you and I know these tricks. Many do not, and if you instruct a guy to do this, and then we are humpteen million miles away, we can't go rescue him when he can't get it back on. Know whuta mean?? 89s can probably figure it out though.

 

[bucket]

I'm not sure if he can use a bolt-on tab, I think the stock one is nearly at 12 o-clock position. If he did he may have to swap the balancer too or cut a new TDC line on the old one since the bolt-on's are closer to the 2 o-clock position.

I think that was just on the 305 carb and TBI motors, they were kind of a hollow balancer too. The 350s and even the TPI 305s got a real balancer.