[bsa_bob2]

The balancer line,,,,, is on the very top with number one cyl; at the top dead center. What do i use for a timing tab? Will it go towards the top of timing cover? or can i mount a aftermarket tab at the bottom??? or the top?? The engine is 4-bolt main.....it is thought to be 69 up in year.Does it matter ...if i put the new tab, once i get it at the top , or does it go on the bottom once more thanks bob s
I remember the tab as being ....part of....the timing cover? right or wrong??

 

[poncho62]

There were a bunch of different designs for the timing tabs....some were welded to the cover, some bolted to the cover bolts. I would find one that bolts on, put your engine at TDC and make a new mark on the balancer where the 0 is on your tab

 

[bsa_bob2]

This motor came altogether wish i had done,,,,,,,,, the tearing of it down.Has that you know of,ever put a "bolt-on tab" at the top.. and aligned it with the stock line on the balancer?Be easier to work on ???aaayy or no

 

[ericnova72]

There is no bolt-on tab for the balancers with the line at 12:00, these were always welded to the cover....no aftermarket alternative exists either.

The 12:00 balancer is for '78-up SBC, when GM went to the radial AC compressors hung in front of the drivers side head where previous years had a long axial compressor mounted over and just outboard of the drivers side valvecover....this radial pump and the power steering pump location meant you could no longer see a timing tab in the traditional 2:00 or 2:30 position so Chevy moved the line and tab to 12:00.

You can either replace the balancer for one with the 2:00 or 2:30 line position and get a common bolt-on tab to match, or hunt down a '78-up factory timing cover(which means more hassle to change... or just get a bolt-on tab, confirm your balancer is at TDC, and remark your existing balancer with a new TDC line.

 

[69612]

bolt on 12 o clock timing tab for 7 inch dampers on a small block

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the keyway in the crank at #1 & #6 TDC is at 45 degrees to the right of center..

you can also look at the 3 crank pulley bolts.. they will be just barely to the right of a perfect Y with the crank at top dead center..


this picture is slightly crooked.. but you can see the bolts line up in a Y shape with any damper 12, 2 or ?

 

[bsa_bob2]

My 350 has A 8" balancer.with line on top. Whats the easiest way{best} to remark the balancer??. that will cost me less in the long run? bob s

 

[johnsongrass1]

Two things.....1st Bolt a timing tab and use brightly colored fingernail polish to mark the damper. I like bright orange. It's easy to see and reflects the timing light well.
Second, weld a tab onto the cover anywhere you want to and use the nail polish like stated above for the damper. Alternativly, a Dremal type tool or a hand file to make a slot or mark or some kind in the damper works well but I still would use something to mark the damper so you didn't get the old marks and new marks mixed up.

Bare bones cheap....Use the nail polish to mark the timing cover directly and the damper directly and use a dial back timing light or timing tape to get close. This way isn't terribly accurate but neither was the factory.

Use a piston stop on either method you choose to verify TDC.

 

[bsa_bob2]

Two things.....1st Bolt a timing tab and use brightly colored fingernail polish to mark the damper. I like bright orange. It's easy to see and reflects the timing light well.
Second, weld a tab onto the cover anywhere you want to and use the nail polish like stated above for the damper. Alternativly, a Dremal type tool or a hand file to make a slot or mark or some kind in the damper works well but I still would use something to mark the damper so you didn't get the old marks and new marks mixed up.

Bare bones cheap....Use the nail polish to mark the timing cover directly and the damper directly and use a dial back timing light or timing tape to get close. This way isn't terribly accurate but neither was the factory.

Use a piston stop on either method you choose to verify TDC.

thanks johnsongrass1.i bought A bb tab by mistake today.SBC tab tomorrow. I have my T-cover painted and installed , so this little project is going to get busy right quick i think

 

[poncho62]

To remark one of mine, I drew a line where it goes and got a sharp punch and made a line of dots along it

 

[bsa_bob2]

Two things.....1st Bolt a timing tab and use brightly colored fingernail polish to mark the damper. I like bright orange. It's easy to see and reflects the timing light well.
Second, weld a tab onto the cover anywhere you want to and use the nail polish like stated above for the damper. Alternativly, a Dremal type tool or a hand file to make a slot or mark or some kind in the damper works well but I still would use something to mark the damper so you didn't get the old marks and new marks mixed up.

Bare bones cheap....Use the nail polish to mark the timing cover directly and the damper directly and use a dial back timing light or timing tape to get close. This way isn't terribly accurate but neither was the factory.

Use a piston stop on either method you choose to verify TDC.

Piston stop?Where and what is this?This name escapes me . Thanks bob s

 

[poncho62]

Piston stop?Where and what is this?This name escapes me . Thanks bob s

You use a piston stop to determine true TDC......It screws into the spark plug hole (if heads are on).....You then rotate the engine both ways by hand until it hits the stop. Make a mark at zero on the tab on damper when it hits the stop. Half way between the marks is true TDC....make your line there

 

[bsa_bob2]

Does this look better, and what is your take on how it looks .as far as being right?Tab position H/B position etc? ( i haven't pulled the H/B clear in yet) bob s

 

[69612]

since its on the stand.. that makes it easier to mark..

looks like you need to move your mark 30 degrees..

you could install a timing tape...

you can calculate the distance.. i know there are measurements out there to do that.. 2.094 inches to the right.. 8" damper times Pi. = 25.132" divided by 360 then times 30 = 2.094.. somewhere between 2 1/16" and 2 1/8" this is close.. could i be slightly off.? yes.. i don't have any dampers to measure right this second..

some timing tape would work also.. might be available at local parts stores.. warning it varies by damper diameter..

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as long as you offset it 30 degrees..

if you intend on using a TDC piston stop.. please.. Remove the rocker arms from that cylinder.. i don't want you bending the valves.. when turning the crank to find the mid point between the places the piston stop hits..

what.. you turn the crank 15 degrees.. you insert the piston stop and see if you can touch the piston. or bring the piston up very slowly with a wrench on the crank bolt.. so you can LIGHTLY FEEL when the piston touches the piston stop.. mark the damper with a temporary masking tape with an arrow toward the side you have selected.. then slowly turn the crank away so the piston drops down .. continue turning the crank until the piston comes up and when it touches.. stop. place another tape on the damper.. marked in the reverse direction to the first.. > < or < > the exact distance between the markings you have put is TDC on that damper.

where that mark GOES depends on the pointer.. look at the image i included.

why remove the rocker arms.. when doing TDC piston stop check.. the piston stop may be out far enough in the combustion chamber to hit a valve head as its opening or closing.. better to be safe than sorry..

want another trick.. mark your damper every 1/4 turn with these numbers.. 1/6 at TDC.. 8/5 at 9 o clock 4/7 at 6 o clock, 3/2 at 3 o clock.. why.. this allows you to turn the crank a quarter turn at a time to adjust your valves.. going around twice a quarter turn at a time you adjust them following your firing order.. 18436572.. if you are running a conventional cam.

when you go to install your distributor have the engine set at compression stroke #1, 6 or 8 before TDC.. drop the distributor in so the rotor is pointing at the drivers side front corner of the intake manifold.. if the distributor did not drop onto the oil pump shaft. turn the crank two turns bring the damper back up to base timing of 6 or 8 before TDC and stopping.

now turn the housing if you are running an electronic ignition to align the pointy things on the distributor shaft and the pointy things on the pickup coil.. when those align.. that is where the distributor will fire when the engine is running.. this allows you to set the base timing deadstick.. and start the engine the first time without needing to turn the distributor..

i did that in front of a 86 Corvette C4 owner.. i had pulled the distributor cap .. bumped the engine round till the rotor was pointing toward the #1 spark plug wire position.. pulled the rotor and bumped it slightly to have the reluctor tips align perfectly with the pickup coil tips.. i noted the damper/timing pointer position.. then removed the distributor.. tore it apart on the bench.. put a new pickup coil in it.. walked over to the car.. dropped it in.. it did not seat on the oil pump shaft. so i turned the over till it dropped.. bumped it until it came back to the front.. bumped the crank to get the marks to line up where they were before.. i turned the housing to align the pickup coil and reluctor.. tightened the hold down.. put the rotor and cap/wires back on it.. reached through the open window and turned the key.. the car started and idled perfectly.. the owner sitting a few feet away jumped up and said.. HOW DID YOU DO that.. i smiled and said that is why they pay me to fix cars.

since i did not see if your fuel pump was installed or if you are using a mechanical pump..

please only try to install a chevy fuel pump with the engine set at #1 compression TDC.. that will position the fuel pump eccentric lobe at the full retracted position so you can get the push rod back to get the pump installed easily..

second tip.. when installing the fuel pump.. glue the gasket to the fuel pump face.. pull the engine oil dipstick.. disconnect the battery. stick the engine oil dipstick straight down thru the top of the fuel pump opening in the block/plate. wiggle it so the bottom end gets between the inside of the plate and the end of the push rods.. now.. put the fuel pump in.. using the pump lever to push against the dip stick.. this will retract the push rod and allow you to get the lever down in front of it.. pull the dip stick out and put the bolts all the way in.. you have just saved 10 or 15 minutes of cussing.. and the bolt holding the pushrod back trick is great.. but this works so much quicker... and it does not take a chance of somebody bending the pushrod in a big block with too much force.. why disconnect the battery. if you are doing this on any chevy with the alternator directly over the fuel pump.. do you really want to stick the dipstick straight down past the back of the alternator output terminal.. .. i did not think so.. this sounds crazy till you try it..

 

[bsa_bob2]

I moved my timing mark 30 degrees ,from what you see in my picture.The piston was visible thru the Spark plug hole.i just watched where the piston stopped and started the other way down. cut a fine slot...with thin cutting grinder disc------ and painted that, with white paint.Just so don't mistake the timing marks, i painted the one you see- here with black paint.Everything good to go, also the Dis; points right at the # one cylinder.Anything else i should, remember? thank you all much! for the time you took to answer my thread bob s

 

[poncho62]

I would still check it with a piston stop Bob......The site of eye is quite a few degrees......Looks like the engine is out of the car, so it would be easily done.

 

[bsa_bob2]

Poncho.I read your last reply.This piston stop can be made out of an old spark plug?is that right?with a bolt slid thru it. head end of bolt ........will stop the piston?So i may have put my new HAR- BAL timing mark/ in the wrong place? thanks poncho bob s

 

[johnsongrass1]

Spark plugs are 14mmx1.25 thread size. Just use a 14mmx1.25 bolt. No need to make things complicated.

 

[poncho62]

As long as the bolt is long enough to stop the piston short of TDC......Then when turned both ways, 1/2 way in between is your true mark.