I think i might have really messed up??
 

Ok Tank is clean and wanting to fire the rebuilt 350. BUT when i put the new harmonic balancer on i rolled the motor over about 1/8 of a turn. The bad part is the dist. was out???!!!??!?!??!?! How bad did i mess up

Thanks
Vance

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

It's not really that big of a deal but it may take a little bit to get it back. Most people will set a motor to top dead center (TDC)....at least I do. Does it look like the timing mark on the balancer is about 1/8th turn off TDC? Did you just R & R the balancer?

I guess the other question is why was the distributor out in the first place? Was the timing even set? It's kinda hard to make a suggestion without knowing how the timing was before the balancer was replaced. Not knowing why the distributor was out makes it hard to know how to help you. The easy thing would be to roll the motor the opposite way until the timing mark aligns again on the pointer but I'm not sure how it was set in the first place. Can you give us some more details??

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

Ok picked up a 68 donor with a good 350, took it out and cleaned and replaced a bunch of leaky gaskets, had to replace the timing chain cover, so i went with chrome. also had to replace the Harmonic Bal. The 350 had a HEI and i am not a big fan so i pulled it out to paint he motor. I was working on the balancer and forgot to put the Dist. in before i started. The motor ran just fine before but i know that i turned it about an 1/8 of a turn. Also the new timing chain cover has not timing gauge!
thanks

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

Without a timing marker on the cover it will be a little more difficult. Pull the #1 cylinder spark plug, put your finger on top of the hole and crank or bump the starter until you feel air pushing out. Drop the dizzy in with the rotor pointing to the #1 plug wire tower on the cap The dizzy will be sticking up about a 1/4" from the intake. Have someone bump the starter or use remote starter switch while putting slight downward pressure on the dizzy and it should drop in flush. Crank the engine around again until you feel air pushing out of #1 cylinder and observe the position of the rotor. As long as it is pointing to the #1 plug wire tower you should be good to go.

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

So are ya going to just try to time it by ear since the timing cover has no gauge? ;)

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

hook a vacuum gauge up to it and play with the dizzy until you pull the most vacuum.

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

Ya if i can get it close i can get into time by ear. Never really used a timing light before, but then again i have never messed up like this before.

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

Like Braunie said...you have to start from scratch. No other way. Here is a thought though.....keep in mind that I don't mess with those little motors but.......(LOL) on a BBC, they have timing covers that have the marker on them and ones that are a 2 piece and it's held on by the timing cover bolts. Can you add a marker like this? The vacuum way can work but it helps if the rest of your motor is dialed in and pulling as much vacuum as possible but you need the carb and what not to already be tuned.

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

Get a timing pointer installed and set to TDC of compression stroke. Install distributor with rotor pointing to number 1 cylinder.

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

Auto Zone sells the pointers right next to the crome covers. Why they don't just put it in the box......

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

Because there has been different placement of the timing marks over the years. If GM would have keep the same placement on all SBC, then it would be easy but becuase they made changes, it would be hard to know which one was for the engine you have. If you put the wrong one on, you'll never get it timed right.

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

OK. I only saw one pointer. Next time I'm there I'll look again closer. But you can also do the thing with put the pointer on, and use a piston stop and rotate the engine by hand until it hits the top of #1 piston, make a mark on the balancer, go backward, rotating by hand again until it hits the piston going the other way, make a mark on the balancer where the pointer is pointing and then right in the middle of those 2 marks should be your top dead center #1. Time from there after making permanent mark for top dead center. Start with your number one wire wherever the rotor on distributor is pointing after centering you vacuum advance to allow plenty of movement for the distributor to rotate. Good luck..

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

I visited with the father inlaw (a Great Mechanic) he said to remove the valve cover and make sure that the valves were closed when i get the piston to top dead? I will be trying to fire this thing in a few hours and we will see how she does.

Thanks for all the advise

Vance

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

Get it running, advance it until it sounds good. Then take it out and whomp on it. If it pings, back it off a tick or two, and repeat. When it doesn't ping anymore, you're all set.

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

In about 69, they moved the timing mark on the balancer by about 8 degrees, and used a different timing tab as well. Since you changed both of these I would verify that top dead center, and 0 on the balancer and timing tab are the same. This issue has caused more than one person grief before.

Re: I think i might have really messed up??
 

Had to get it to top dead and then put the dizzy pointing to number one, wha la she runs!!!

Thanks