How are you timing your square?

[Gpaw44]

How are you timng yours when needed? All the emissions devices are still on my truck making the timing tab very hard to see. I can't get my timiing light to illuminate the line. I friend would advance his timing until it rattled under aceleration and then would back it off till it stopped rattling. Thanks in advance

 

[Ricko1966]

305 has knock sensor ignition,so that's not going to work. You either need to clean things up,so you can see them. Make new marks somewhere where you can see them or just keep advancing it a little at a time over time until trial and error you find what gives best drivabilty and mpg. Re marking the balancer, roll the engine by hand to line up what ever timing mark you are shooting for then mark the balancer and a reference (a bolt a bracket etc.) Then time with your light lining up the marks you made. This is assuming your balancer hasn't slipped. We'll cross that bridge if it doesn't run right when you are done. Actually if your timing mark is way off but the truck runs good,check for a slipped balancer.