Has anyone tried to use a camera snake

[batwrangler]

thru the fuel pump hole to see the timing chain marks on a 351c
?

 

[Hemikiller]

I have an endoscope, but the hard part is orientation. You'd have a tough time with verifying the timing marks with one.

If you have a lot of play in the chain, it's time to replace it.

 

[tpj71mach]

You can get a pretty good look in there with a digital inspection camera. I use my boroscope when my engine came back to make sure the builder installed the fuel pump eccentric before I installed the mechanical fuel pump. I wasn't sure if he did because I told him I was going EFI with an electric fuel pump when he built the engine and then decided to go carb and mechanical pump. I agree with Hemi Killer the orientation is the challenge in trying to ID timing marks.

 

[boilermaster]

Batwrangler,
Please expand on this a little further.
Stock or aftermarket ?, are you trying to ( dial in ) the camshaft you have ?.
Comp. cams {and possibly other manufacturers} have what is called lift at TDC to determine cam timing orientation.
All one has to know is if true TDC has been indicated, know what cam you have and look up the intake lobe in a master catalog and measure lobe lift @ TDC to see how much you are advanced or retarded, no degree wheel needed, just a dial indicator and removal of ones rh rocker cover to measure.
please explain further.
Boilermaster

 

[batwrangler]

You can get a pretty good look in there with a digital inspection camera. I use my boroscope when my engine came back to make sure the builder installed the fuel pump eccentric before I installed the mechanical fuel pump. I wasn't sure if he did because I told him I was going EFI with an electric fuel pump when he built the engine and then decided to go carb and mechanical pump. I agree with Hemi Killer the orientation is the challenge in trying to ID timing marks.

Thanks for the input

Batwrangler,
Please expand on this a little further.
Stock or aftermarket ?, are you trying to ( dial in ) the camshaft you have ?.
Comp. cams {and possibly other manufacturers} have what is called lift at TDC to determine cam timing orientation.
All one has to know is if true TDC has been indicated, know what cam you have and look up the intake lobe in a master catalog and measure lobe lift @ TDC to see how much you are advanced or retarded, no degree wheel needed, just a dial indicator and removal of ones rh rocker cover to measure.
please explain further.
Boilermaster

All stock ...Im just trying to find out if my timing gears have jumped a tooth I bought the car a few years back and i could never get the timing wright,,,any other way to find this out

 

[lectricegg]

I heard this tip years ago:

"To identify the amount of wear in a timing chain, begin by removing all of the spark plugs and the distributor cap. With a wrench on the harmonic balancer bolt, turn the crankshaft at least two complete revolutions backward of rotation to remove any slack from the timing chain.

While you are still turning the crankshaft opposite to its running rotation, bring the timing mark on the harmonic balancer to top dead center (TDC) on the timing tab or pointer. With a helper watching the distributor rotor, gently turn the crankshaft in the proper direction of rotation.

As soon as the rotor tip starts to move, STOP! Read the amount of stretch on the timing tab.

For example, if the rotor tip began to move at 10° after TDC as measured at the timing mark, the chain has 10° of stretch. Any reading more than 4° to 5° is considered excessive and you need to schedule time to install a new timing chain and gear set."

Of course this won' help if a previous owner changed the chain and gears and installed it wrong.