Wheres the timing mark?

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InRogue

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Just rebuilt my 318, mild
with 340 cam and 4 barrel. After cam break in I went to time engine only to not see the tdc mark on pulley. So I ran a piece of black tape over the white line (balancer is blue) to see if I could find it, well its straight up under the w/p, cant get it to move over anywhere near the cover marks....the engine seems to run fine though....thoughts
 
Damper spun the outer ring, or you’re on the wrong plug wire.

Pull the number one plug, eyeball down the plug hole with a flashlight to get as close to tdc as possible....... see where the line on the damper is.

If it’s not somewhere close to the timing mark on the timing cover, it’s either junk, or the wrong one for your timing cover.
 
PRH said:
Damper spun the outer ring, or you’re on the wrong plug wire.

Pull the number one plug, eyeball down the plug hole with a flashlight to get as close to tdc as possible....... see where the line on the damper is.

If it’s not somewhere close to the timing mark on the timing cover, it’s either junk, or the wrong one for your timing cover.
Click to expand...

Agreed, definitely check the plug wires first. Small block timing covers changed in '70 I believe, because they changed the radiator outlet positions. Pre '70 timing covers had timing marks on the passenger side, post '70 on the driver's side. I have a 1968 car with a 1978 360, meaning I can't read my timing marks because the lower radiator hose blocks the marks.
 
Learn to use a piston stop and check the accuracy of the timing marks. Others, and myself have posted this here a hundred times. Do a search.
 
InRogue said:
Just rebuilt my 318, mild
with 340 cam and 4 barrel. After cam break in I went to time engine only to not see the tdc mark on pulley. So I ran a piece of black tape over the white line (balancer is blue) to see if I could find it, well its straight up under the w/p, cant get it to move over anywhere near the cover marks....the engine seems to run fine though....thoughts
Click to expand...
How the heck did you get it started to break in the cam?
 
Before we all try to monday morning quarterback, what year is the engine, what year is the timing cover (is the timing mark on the pass side as a bolt on or is it permanently part of the cover) has the timing mark ever been correct.
 
Engine was a runner when I bought it, I never heard it run though, so i freshened it up, single ball home, new rings, bearings, pump, cam and lifters, 3 angle valve job etc etc.The engine is a '85 vintage with drivers side timing mark's and is part of the cover. I set at top dead center and fired it off keeping the idle above 2000 rpm. I tried a search....

20200215_174017.jpg
 
If the timing mark was straight up, and the the damper ring has not slipped, timing was about 30-40 degrees advanced. So no surprise that it ran ok under no load.
So OP, if it will not move far enough with rotating the distributor, then you may have to pull up the distributor, pull up and move the intermediate shaft 1 tooth CW (you may have to rotate the pump about 30 degrees CW), and then the rotor the same.
But find true TDC as suggested, and see if the damper ring is right. And... Looking at your pic of the damper, with the multiple cracks in the rubber, it is shot/bad and urgently needs replacing anyway.
And I looked at pix again and that rubber is REALLY bad!
 
Msd ignition? Dial type timing light? They dont work well together. Just something that hung me up recently.
Pertronics can do it also.
 
I have to ask. Are you sure you had the pickup on the #1 cyl (driver's side front)

As others have said you may have had it excessively advanced.

67 SB calls for pointing the slot on the dist drive to point at the front most driver's side intake manifold bolt when the engine is at TDC (IIRC)
 
nm9stheham said:
If the timing mark was straight up, and the the damper ring has not slipped, timing was about 30-40 degrees advanced. So no surprise that it ran ok under no load.
So OP, if it will not move far enough with rotating the distributor, then you may have to pull up the distributor, pull up and move the intermediate shaft 1 tooth CW (you may have to rotate the pump about 30 degrees CW), and then the rotor the same.
But find true TDC as suggested, and see if the damper ring is right. And... Looking at your pic of the damper, with the multiple cracks in the rubber, it is shot/bad and urgently needs replacing anyway.
And I looked at pix again and that rubber is REALLY bad!
Click to expand...
I'm gonna find true TDC tomorrow with a tool, and check the mark.
 
You can put a pointer anywhere you want to and can see it good and remark the balancer once you've found TDC. You do not have to use the factory marks if you cannot see them.
 
Dana67Dart said:
I have to ask. Are you sure you had the pickup on the #1 cyl (driver's side front)

As others have said you may have had it excessively advanced.

67 SB calls for pointing the slot on the dist drive to point at the front most driver's side intake manifold bolt when the engine is at TDC (IIRC)
Click to expand...
yes I'm sure of the #1 plug wire
 
InRogue said:
I'm gonna find true TDC tomorrow with a tool, and check the mark.
Click to expand...
Good deal. And you may not want to hear it again, but seriously, the damper rubber is 100 per cent shot. 2 bad outcomes:
  • The damper cannot possibly do it's job of damping out internal crank vibrations
  • The inertia (outer) ring can fly off!
Professional Products makes a decent replacement one. With a 318, you want a neutral balance type.
 
As hoppy said. Find tdc and make your own mark. Then bob’s your uncle!
 
Well I made a tool out of a spark plug anti fouler and this is what I found, the tdc mark is good on the balancer ......so a tooth off on the distributor drive? Thoughts
20200216_140700.jpg
 
I am seeing the balancer mark off by 10*.
 
Well good point that's why I'm asking. How far down and where do you start determining tdc. I inserted the bolt down where I knew it would contact piston, turned engine cw til it hit bolt, marked balancer at timing cover 0 with marker, then turned engine ccw til it hit bolt and marked at o again. Am I missing something?
 
InRogue said:
Well good point that's why I'm asking. How far down and where do you start determining tdc. I inserted the bolt down where I knew it would contact piston, turned engine cw til it hit bolt, marked balancer at timing cover 0 with marker, then turned engine ccw til it hit bolt and marked at o again. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

No, you just didn't include that part. lol Your TDC mark should be correct, then.
 
InRogue said:
Well good point that's why I'm asking. How far down and where do you start determining tdc. I inserted the bolt down where I knew it would contact piston, turned engine cw til it hit bolt, marked balancer at timing cover 0 with marker, then turned engine ccw til it hit bolt and marked at o again. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Thats it. What rrr is seeing is where you stopped on the second rotation for tdc. So you have determined that the balancer is ok.
 
Ok then, why is the tdc mark on the balancer straight up when engine is running it's best, i cant get the mark on the balancer to come anywhere near the 0 mark on the cover no matter how much I turn the distributor. Am I off a tooth or 3 off on the drive? I set the drive slot towards the front intake bolt drivers side.
 
With the damper at tdc, where is the rotor pointing?

Also....... you’re not trying to set the timing with the vacuum advance hooked up are you?
 
InRogue said:
Ok then, why is the tdc mark on the balancer straight up when engine is running it's best, i cant get the mark on the balancer to come anywhere near the 0 mark on the cover no matter how much I turn the distributor. Am I off a tooth or 3 off on the drive? I set the drive slot towards the front intake bolt drivers side.
Click to expand...
Rotor pointing to #1 cylinder at top of compression stroke. How i have always done it. distributor been redone, vacuum can working? Mech advance working?
 
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