Changed harmonic balancer, which timing tab to use?

[Mrturner1]

Hey all, I had a regular stock balancer and a dial back light but it's just not accurate and I want to get this truck dialed in. So I got an 8" balancer with timing marks all the way around it, and now my timing tab won't work, it's in the way of the numbers stamped on the balancer. The one I have is a Mr Gasket timing tab, and now I'm not sure what to use, different style or what?

[davepl]

Do you have a piston stop? The smartest and best way is to properly find TDC and mark it. You can use any tab that will reach the right location.

Am I correct in assuming you've gone to a LARGER dampener? Did you check that it is OK to do so? I've never changed types or sizes other than switching to an SFI unit. So I don't know the answer.

Worst case get an adjustable pointer you can mount to your timing cover, then zero it with a piston stop, which I assume you have from degreeing your cam anyway hopefully.

Here's one for nine bucks.

https://smile.amazon.com/Spectre-Per...timing+pointer

[Mr Handy]

I ended up with one of these, it worked well when the chrome one you see everywhere was to long... I'm not sure what balancer would be able to use one of them.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SB-CHEVY-BLA...dVf2h4&vxp=mtr

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by davepl

Do you have a piston stop? The smartest and best way is to properly find TDC and mark it. You can use any tab that will reach the right location.

Am I correct in assuming you've gone to a LARGER dampener? Did you check that it is OK to do so? I've never changed types or sizes other than switching to an SFI unit. So I don't know the answer.

Worst case get an adjustable pointer you can mount to your timing cover, then zero it with a piston stop, which I assume you have from degreeing your cam anyway hopefully.

Here's one for nine bucks.

https://smile.amazon.com/Spectre-Per...timing+pointer

I went with the same size it had on it, but a much nicer one with timing degrees from 60btdc up to 10atdc. I have a brand new dial back but I think it's giving me bad readings which apperently is common with dial backs and larger cams and radical (somewhat) timing. I do have a piston stop, I kept that one I made out of a spark plug.

Also, I think that timing tab you posted a link to would work if it didn't have the outside teeth and numbers on it. For example, if you took the red pointer off, and cut the metal part that is stamped with numbers all the way up to where the red pointer is screwed on, that might work

[davepl]

You should be able to find just a pointer, with no timing marks on it, and use that in combination with the marks on the balancer. That'd be better than what I linked with numbers on it, I should know better!

[Gromit]

I like using this $20 Amazon bought USB Borescope camera - you just attach it to a laptop; fire up the regular old Windows camera driver (no software required); and put the fiber optic lit camera in the spark plug hole; then you watch the image on the laptop screen while you turn the crank until you see the piston reach TDC. It is pretty foolproof - hopefully you will notice that an existing mark on your balancer lines up with what you see as the piston going toward the camera and then starting to move away from the camera.. I would say the tolerance is maybe one or two degrees..so not perfect but close enough you should eliminate any chance of ruining your motor due to an improper TDC setting.

One attached image shows the camera hooked up to examine something in the interior sheet metal of the truck (not the TDC and sparkplug hole) but at least you can see the setup...