Timing Pointer

The timing pointers used on 428 CJ and SCJ engines are identified using basic part number 6023. The pointer is made of stamped steel, and is bolted and screwed to the front of the timing cover. This part was painted on the engine after installation, so it should normally be painted Ford Dark Corporate Blue. The pointer is attached to the timing cover using a sheet metal screw, and is secured further using a bolt that mounts both pointer and cover to the front of the block.

Year and Engine Type Service Part Number Engineering Number Length
1968 CJ C8AZ-6023-A C8SE-6023-A 2 3/8"
1969 and 1970 CJ C9AZ-6023-A C9AE-6023-A 2 3/4"
1969 and 1970 SCJ C9OZ-6023-A C9OE-6023-B 2 7/8"

428 CJ and SCJ Timing Pointer Applications

The 1968 pointer appears to have been used into the start of the 1969 model year. One Master Parts Catalog (dated August 1969) identifies the change-over date as October 1st, 1968. A second Master Parts Catalog (dated April 1970) identifies the change-over date as September 2nd, 1968. The C9AZ-6023-A pointer replaced the C8AZ-6023-A pointer by the time the May 1975 final edition of the Master Parts Catalog was printed. CJs and SCJs used different pointers due to the different harmonic balancers used on the two engines. The SCJ balancer is thicker than the CJ balancer, and a longer pointer is needed for accurate timing readings. We're still trying to learn why the CJ pointer was changed and eventually replaced.

CJ Timing Pointers
1968 (left) and 1969/1970 CJ Timing Pointers
(Image courtesy of John Spencer)
1968 CJ Timing Pointer
1968 CJ Timing Pointer
1969 and 1970 CJ Timing Pointer
1969 and 1970 CJ Timing Pointer
(Image courtesy of John Spencer)
1969 and 1970 SCJ Timing Pointer
1969 and 1970 SCJ Timing Pointer
(Image courtesy of Brian Conway)

The SCJ pointer has a slight bend towards the harmonic balancer that appears about mid-way through the length of the pointer as shown in the picture below (image courtesy of Greg Dobe).

SCJ Timing Pointer Bend