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I went to set the prelash on my rockers today and things were not feeling right. I had my timing wheel set up on my balancer to the mark on it. I finally turned the engine over while looking in the #1 spark plug hole and it looks like my balancer mark is way off. It's not 180 off, it's more than 90 off. I pulled the balancer bolt off and it is on the keyway as it should be. What is going on here? Did the outside of the balancer shift? Maybe could someone check the position of the keyway to the timing Mark on their balancer.
Ok, I looked at a few photos of balancers on Jegs and I did not see any that remotely looked like this in relation to the key and timing mark, so thats what I assumed too. If I would have fired this up and bent a valve out of a fresh rebuild, I probably would have cried.
Is that tab factory-welded to the timing cover...or is it one of those aftermarket tabs that you can "install where-ever you want"? Aftermarket = Make sure it is in the correct location.
Is the balancer NEW or is it Original? It "looks" in good shape is why I ask.
The balancer rubber isolator is dry rotted cracked and has a one inch chunk missing from it.
Your piston is in the right spot now though.......you could mark the balancer TDC now and do 90 degree marks which would allow you to do the firing order TDC method that I prefer while you are waiting for your new balancer.
Do yourself a favor and buy a new balancer with 0-60 timing marks on it......much easier to set timing.....and you can use a cheap strobe light to do it. Single mark balancer like stock requires a dial back light to set timing the preferred way to 36 degrees total.
Many good selections in the Summit catalog.....their house brand is good as well as Pioneer.
That happened to my balancer, it had moved by about 6 degrees. turns out these balancers move.
i went to Craig motors in Napa and compared my balancer to a new one and it was different so i bought a new one.
i was wondering why i couldnt get the timing set right.
the only reason i was going to change the balancer was because i had an oil leak, i thought that it was worn out at the point where the front seal
was located, turns out the leak was coming from the chrome timing cover.
good thing i changed it though i ended up fixing something i didnt even know was wrong.
It's not the original balancer as it is marked Made in China, but I don't know how old it is - it was on the car when I bought it over 10 years ago. The tab is aftermarket, but that's the only spot it can go on the timing cover so I doubt that's an issue. I'll still check it visually while I'm setting stuff up. From what I have read, the timing mark should be about 15 degrees counter clockwise of the keyway so mine is obviously way off. I'm going to pick up a new balancer from the parts store today and mark it every 90 degrees before I put it on. I do have a dialback timing light so that is not a big deal - thanks everyone for your input.
Last edited by bluthundr; Jun 12, 2021 at 12:32 PM.
The balance look like it slipped. The rubber has small crack and looks like it’s has a small clunk out of it. Take it off and compare it to another one. Maybe at an auto parts store?
If the balancer is original and you wish to keep it, you can send it off to Damper Dudes in CA. They rebuilt both of mine for my L-79 engines. The turn around time was about a week to my door. Jerry
Yep your is bad.
Check your new balancer when you get it.
And make sure you get the correct one.
The timing mark position changed about 20 degrees one year. Around 68-69-70 IIRC.
So you need both the correct pointer and the correct balancer.
And I think the keyway and the timing mark are supposed to line up on the balancer. But that will only apply for one version of the balancers, either early or late.
And I would still double-check it by finding TDC with a piston stop as you are doing now.
You may even find the new one is off.
Quality control is not what it used to be.
Last edited by leigh1322; Jun 12, 2021 at 01:54 PM.
I like the outcome. I use a dorman on mine. Ran it a few times before my body lift off. I had no problem lining my marks. The old one had small cracks like yours and the mark was off 1/4 inch just waiting to let go. Nice to know it worked for you.
If it is marked "Made in China", it doesn't matter how old it is.....it's junk. The stuff they use for rubber in harmonic balancers was salvaged from old Toyota truck tires, I'm sure. [recovered from Japanese refuse??]
Buy one from reputable U.S. manufacturer, if you want it to stay in good condition for long.
Last edited by 7T1vette; Jun 12, 2021 at 08:16 PM.
If any parts stores stocked one made in the US I would have bought one. Had I gone to a dealership I guarantee the AC Delco replacement would have been made in Mexico.
If any parts stores stocked one made in the US I would have bought one. Had I gone to a dealership I guarantee the AC Delco replacement would have been made in Mexico.
Whoda' thought that One Day MEXICO would trump Chynaa?
Is that tab factory-welded to the timing cover...or is it one of those aftermarket tabs that you can "install where-ever you want"? Aftermarket = Make sure it is in the correct location.
Is the balancer NEW or is it Original? It "looks" in good shape is why I ask.
You can see china stamped right by the mark so im guessing it s aftermarket
I sacrificed a distributor cap. I took a Dremel cutofff wheel and cut a window in the cap right below the #1 terminal. That way I know for sure the dizzy rotor in right below the #1 terminal. The cap I sacrificed was a HEI cap....a little more pricey than the early C3 caps.,,,,
Thats good for making sure your rotor is right over the post you want to be #1, but won't help if your timing mark is off. I usually just put a sharpie mark from the post down the side of the distributor to the base and make sure the rotor is on that line.
I was thinking about the same for my Z28 RS, when I set it at 18 degrees, the vacuum is only 12, and the engine is not happy.
When I set it at 28,the vacuum is 16, and the engine sounds happy.
I assume it the same problem I have, or that the chain set has different settings, and it was installed "not to zero"
Timing Mark Way Off?
