What tdc tool do y'all recommend?

[Zoomalot]

Hard Teflon rod about 8" with the end rounded on the bench grinder / sander.
Run it through to back of cylinder and you can watch and feel piston coming up to top.
Mark balancer and reverse sequence and mark again. TDC is in-between on the balancer.
No thread adjustments or screw down to piss around with.

 

[Ricko1966]

Okay this may sound crude but it works.For quick stuff like stabbing a distributor I use a drinking straw put in the hole feel it move up and park.More exact stuff I put my spark plug air fitting in the hole get close by feel with a piece of thin round stock I cut of of a lockout rod kit , stuck through the center of the air fitting and use my dial indicator on the locked to watch up and down movement. I forgot I used the same set up once without the dial indicator. Went close to tdc marked my lockout rod and balancer went past tdc watched my lockout rod mark match again. Then marked my balancer again. Between the two is true TDC. I came up with the goofy lock rod air fitting dial indicator thing at work one day was doing an r&r on a cam advancer and had to find out in mm how far down the piston was parked.

 

[Poppy 87]

I remember one that would whistle when you were on the compression stroke. Then you could find tdc once you knew you were on the right stroke. Didn't see it though. It'd be helpful sense im doing it by myself.

Doug, I made my own whistle type. Compression tester hose, small piece of fuel line hose on the compression tester adapter, and in the end of the fuel hose, the small plastic squeaker from one of my dogs stuffed animal toys! Cost me nothing and I've used it as a tech for years. Good luck

 

[jake wells]

Breaker bar and a lisle compression gauge is all you need and set timing from no #1 cylinder at tdc and align with the timing mark and it should be fine.