C'mon, people! Katy is right, besides typing his reply faster than I.
Setting the timing in a Model A -
REAL rocket science stuff that several entrepreneurs have turned into a virtual gold mine for themselves, selling every imaginable Rube Goldberg device to perform this VERY simple task. I get so tired reading page after page of periodic postings discussing this basic procedure. These cars are not Maseratis or Lamborghinis that need precision instruments to set the timing within a millionth degree in order to tweak every possible horsepower out of their engines. How did Farmer John and the world's po' folks during the Great Depression manage to do this without all these modern marvels of technology? Just set the initial timing the way Ford recommended since 1928 with a hand crank and inverted timing pin, and then tweak the distributor cam afterwards slightly clockwise or counterclockwise to dial in the timing to suit your driving style: a little more retarded for a slow idle (turn the cam clockwise), or a little more advanced for more power and speed (turn the cam counterclockwise). The engine will tell you by sound and feel if you have exceeded its limits. Listen to the engine and learn. That's all you need to set the timing: no strobe lights, timing degree wheels, indexed pulleys, special wrenches. Toss all those gimmicks and you'll experience fewer anxieties timing your Model A engine. Old timers here will agree. If you need all those band-aids just to set the timing, Lord help you if you ever tackle a rear end rebuild or a valve adjustment.
There. I feel better now, getting this long-time pet peeve off my chest.
K.I.S.S. is usually the best way to go with our cars. Setting the timing is a perfect example.
Marshall