Curtis Brown

Hi,

Have a Vortec 5.7 350... Changing Head Gaskets on the engine. In the attached photo, can any one determine if its at TDC.
This is cylinder 1,3,5,7

kevinkpk

Could be or tdc on the exhaust

kevinkpk

If you look at the timing chain cam shaft/crankshaft gears, if they are alighned then it is #1 on tdc

Curtis Brown

Hi
​​​​​​​Thanks for the info. So, now i have to take the timing cover off to check...man mo money...lol

Richard Till

You don`t have to pull the timing chain cover. Rotate the engine until you see the #1 intake lifter coming up. The piston will be traveling down. Keep rotating the engine until the #1 piston bottoms out and begins it`s upward travel. At this time start watching for the timing mark to become visible on the harmonic balancer. Keep rotating engine until the mark on the balancer lines up with the "0" mark on the timing tab.

Curtis Brown

Even though the intake, heads and distributor are removed? I thing the both #1 lifters are down. Left is inake or exhaust?

kevinkpk

You can't do it with the heads off, the large valve is the exhaust.

Curtis Brown

So its all scewed up?. I know that the distributor points at #1. The #1 and #6 are at the top of the block

Curtis Brown

Cylinder Heads and distributor needs to be on the block to determine TDC. DO the pushrods have to be on as well?

kevinkpk

What I'd recommend is putting it back together, crank engine till it gets to #1 tdc (or close) on compression stroke, drop in the distributor with the pointer at #1, then follow the firing order around.