What you have to keep in mind regarding the marks on the Harmonic Balancer and the Timing Chain cover is that they will line up at 0* twice, once on compression and once on exhaust. It's important to line them up on compression. Removing #1 spark plug and sticking your finger in the hole while you turn the motor over with a wrench is the easiest method to find compression stroke.

 

Being a 2000 with coil packs turning the motor around 1 extra time will eliminate need for coil pack assembly removal.

 

No problem trying to offer different solutions but the OP has a fully assembled engine and I think it would be...well...madness to disassemble the front of the engine to find #1 TDC compression.

 

Reference post #15.

 

I don't think cruiser54 mentioned anything about "and sticking your finger in the hole while you turn the motor over with a wrench". I guess it is something to try once anyways.....

 

That's what she said.

 

Put a long screw into the back of a plastic type wine cork, put the cork(nail out) over spark plug hole for cylinder 1. rotate crank until cork pops out, fine tune crank to 0(do not go past even a little, and if you do go around 2 more times do not try to back up).
You are at tds.

 

Not bad there Xjunkie, I see how that could work. In my head (ha ha), I could see having the cork just barely move as TDC is passed. A bit easier that, as opposed to rigging up clear vinyl tube to a spark plug adapter, filling the works with oil, then rotating the engine for max oil level in the tube.

I did notice you are new.....welcome to the forum! And the date sometimes matters, this thread being five years old...

 

Thanks! Hope it helps others find TDS easier.
Ah yes I do see the dates now.
This forum, and all the great tips, have been super helpful for me with my jeep. Thank You!!

 

Zombie thread revived or not, great tip!!

Welcome.

 

My dad's trick was just to use a piece of straw from the roadside, it that's all you had. Sometimes I shop in Brookings Btw.