59A flathead timing

[Flathead Fever]

This won't help you since the head is on the engine but if you ever have it off make timing marks. I set mine up when I had the #1 head off. I set the piston on TDC with a dial indicator on the piston. Rotate it one direction until the piston is on TDC of #1 and mark the pulley, then rotate the engine in the opposite direction until the piston comes up again and make a mark. The correct TDC will be right in between of the two marks. I made a pointer out of a stainless bolt ground to a point that I bolted to the timing cover. I marked the pulley right there at TDC. Then I took the diameter of the pulley and divided up in degrees and marked it at 6 BTC, 9 BTC and 12 BTC... ( I think). Now here's the really important part, write those timing marks down so if you have a stroke like I did, you can remember what the timing marks were. I swore I wrote them down, I just need to remember where I put my notes.

Even if you just have the one factory mark on the pulley like a '49-'53 flathead has, you can figure out your timing using an "adjustable timing light". Do not buy a timing light unless it is adjustable. The one I have from when I was kid is not adjustable. I found a brand-new never used adjustable timing light at an estate sale.

K.R. Wilson made a box used for timing pre-1949 distributers. You removed the distributer and bolted it to the box and then move the timing on the distributor to either make the light go on or off. That's the way flathead timing was made until 1949 when the new distributor was used. The 1949 and later pulley only has one timing mark on it, but you could adjust custom timing settings on them with an adjustable timing light.

I'm not sure if the old K.R. Wilson box will even work with electronic ignition. Since there are no points opening and closing to break the circuit and make the light come on.

Your engine should not be loading up because you have two carbs on it. You just need to balance the idle mixture settings on the carbs.