I was messing around with my timing today because I've always thought something was way off since the rebuild. I figured that my timing mark was incorrect because it was a rebuilt harmonic balancer pully so I have only been able to time by sound (I know, not a good way to do it). I've tried one tooth retarded, and one tooth advanced from where it is now and it has a lot less power and idles worse. I have never been able to even see the timing mark when hooked up to spark plug one, but today I tried it on spark plug 2 and there was the mark at about 3 degrees retarded. My questions: Is it possible that the harmonic balance is that far off? What should be my next step? What's the best way to find TDC with one person?

Thanks

Pop the valve cover. Remove the spark plugs (all of them so you can turn the engine easily). Rotate the engine in the normal direction of rotation. Keep an eye on the front two rocker arms & valve springs. Watch for the intake (the second rocker arm/valve spring from the front) to open, then carefully keep turning the engine until the front two rocker/valves are completely relaxed. This is compression TDC (or very close to it) on the number one cylinder. If you want another indication that things are in the correct orientation, you can cut the bottom straight section out of a wire coat hanger and insert one end in the frontmost spark plug hole, so that you can see it stop moving up as you're turning the engine and the piston reaches TDC.

Once you've found TDC, go ahead and make a new mark on the vibration damper. While you're at it, you can make additional marks for dialing-in your advance curves as described in this post.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I'm still a bit confused, so if someone could check my logic I would appreciate it. TDC of compression stroke, according to my Stockel book, will be after the compression up stroke where both valves are closed, followed by the power stroke down, where both valves also remain closed. Since the top of the compression stroke is in between two strokes where both valves remain closed, I'm not sure how to find TDC by just observing the valves opening and closing. I used the coat hanger method and the mark was way off from factory settings. There was one TDC in between exhaust valve closing and intake valve opening, and one about 1/2 turn after intake valve closes. My guess is that it's the one after the intake valve closes. Is my valve timing off?

Thanks

You can actually check TDC without pulling the valve cover. Pull the #1 plug and bump the motor over with a remote starter switch while holding a finger over the plug hole. When compression starts to push your finger away from the hole, it is coming up on TDC. You can then turn the motor the rest of the way over by hand, and stick a screwdriver in the hole to check when the piston is at TDC. You can then make a new mark on your damper.

There were more than 1 generation of damper. You probably have the wrong generation.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

I had a little Awakening to the Generation gap When I installled A new Australian Balancer this Spring, Thankfully I knew where 0* Was on the old balancer - I just marked the New one With the Paint at the corresponding spot.

Info Below:



http://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic ... tab#137493


and Here:

http://moparmarketforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=10242

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

I went out and bought a piston stop and got it marked just right. I was a few degrees off what I guessed with the coat hanger, but I guess that wouldn't have mattered too much as long as I was close. Too bad the battery is dead from all of my attempted starts. I'll be able to check things out tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.