TDC Gauge ???

[wildcard]

I'm wanting to get a tool to help find TDC easier. I'm thinking I have seen one that screws into the spark plug hole and has a gauge attached. There has to be a better way than putting a dowel rod through the plug hole and turning the crank.
Can anyone help me on this? I guess I'm mainly looking for the technical name of such a tool if there is one.
Thanks,
Benny

[Calfdemon]

I believe it is actually called a "top dead center gauge". Are you talking about something like one of these?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pow-p ... AsFt8P8HAQ
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ipa-7 ... AmH58P8HAQ

[wildcard]

Thanks Calfdemon.
I think the 2nd one is more like what I'm looking for.
I'm planning to try to adjust some valves next weekend, hopefully. And also check to be sure that my timing mark lines up at 0.
Thanks again.
Benny

[trozei]

The street name for a TDC gauge is a piston stop.

[wildcard]

OK. I see you're from B.C. . Just curious as to whether that applies to the U.S. as well, since I've never heard that term used.

[trozei]

Anytime I go online and see someone mention it, they call it a piston stop so yeah I'd say it's a pretty universal term.

[duaneo]

I know that my harmonic balancer is installed correctly, so every other rotation, 0 lined up with the marker on the timing chain cover is TDC.

Instead of a TDC gauge, I use a compression gauge. I put the gauge in the #1 spark plug hole. To find TDC, I turn the engine over, watching the gauge, and the harmonic balancer. On the exhaust stroke, the gauge will stay at zero when the 0 comes around on the balancer. On the compression stroke, pressure will rise on the gauge as the 0 comes around. When the pressure is up and the harmonic balancer is at 0, that's TDC.

Unlike a TDC gauge, you can also use a compression gauge to check your compression.

Cheers,
Duane