How do you time this thing?

I am in the process of replacing the distributor on the 92 Bravada with W engine. I was turning the engine over to put #1 at top dead center and realized I cant see the timing marks on the engine. I can see the mark on the damper ok and I can see the marks on the engine side if I use a good deal of imagination and a mirror, but how do you actually get a light in there and see the marks with the naked eye to actually time the thing. Seems improbable but I can't be the first guy to do this.

Thanks GL

if u cant see the mark on the crank jus spin it over till it blows your finger off thats compression which u probably know than just stick a straw down #1 and bring it up slow when it comes all the way up and stops about to go back down drop your dist

if u cant see the mark on the crank jus spin it over till it blows your finger off thats compression which u probably know than just stick a straw down #1 and bring it up slow when it comes all the way up and stops about to go back down drop your dist

I need to be able to see the timing marks on the block side and can only see them with a mirror and then not very well. I can see the line on the crank I just have no way of getting a timing light on it and the marks on the block side. I may be able to do it with two guys and a mirror, but that just seems a little out of the ordinary if you know what I mean.

GL

If I remember right there were 2 marks on the pulley, so make sure you have the correct one. The pointer on the engine was easy to spot looking down from the air box area, if you find the right spot. It is possible your timing pointer is missing if you cannot find it.

Here is a pic of a cover on Ebay. The left in the pic, is the bottom on the engine. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/92-95-Astro-Blazer-S10-GMC-S15-Pickup-4-3-Timing-Cover_W0QQitemZ350125802872QQihZ022QQcategoryZ3362 5QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1 638Q2em118Q2el1247

If I remember right there were 2 marks on the pulley, so make sure you have the correct one. The pointer on the engine was easy to spot looking down from the air box area, if you find the right spot. It is possible your timing pointer is missing if you cannot find it.

I do see the pointer if I use a mirror and look, I guess I'll pull the air box off tonight and see if I can get an angle on it. If not I'll snap a pic and get it posted so you can see what I'm looking at.

if u cant see the mark on the crank jus spin it over till it blows your finger off thats compression which u probably know than just stick a straw down #1 and bring it up slow when it comes all the way up and stops about to go back down drop your dist

Keep in mind when you're turning it over: there'll be one "blow" for each revolution of the crankshaft. The weak one is the exhaust stroke and the strong one is the compression stroke.

I haven't touched an older Bravada in a while, but my girlfriend has a 92 Jimmy and my sister has a 92 Blazer (both W engine), and it was not a problem timing either of them. I cannot imagine that the Bravada would be any different. The only thing was it took 2 people, one on the light and one at the dist, but that was only because I'm on the short side. If I were taller, or stood on something, I would have been able to get it done solo.