Hey Locomotion. One last question if you know ( and I really appreciate the help I get on this site ) Is the timing cover seal the same part number for the old and new style balancer? Of course Napa has a seal but it's in a gasket kit. Can't open the kit and then find out it's wrong seal (per the explicit admonition of the kid standing behind the counter this morning...).
I assume I could just replace the seal without taking off the timing cover, but at this point it seems to me I may as well pull it and check the timing chaain and replace all the gaskets, including the oil pan gasket while I'm at it, and see what else the PO cobbled up. The whole damper thing started with trying to straighten out the PO's cobbled up pulley system. Then, I Discovered a completely stripped out bolt in the damper - not fixable with a tap. Looking at it close it looks like the rubber is dry rotted so here I am. On the timing cover the PO or somebody half stripped out one of the fuel pump bolts...man one thing leads to another.