quote:Originally posted by Bosswrench:
Peter, be very careful in drawing conclusions from your timing marks until it's verified that the two-piece harmonic balancer has not shifted with age. The outer ring was pressed together with a rubber strip in between it and the hub, and age tends to shrink rubber. This allows the press-fit to slacken and the outer ring to shift backward. moving the timing marks towards
'retard'. I've seen visually undamaged but over-age balancers in which the sacred timing mark was 160 degrees off! I've also seen 43-year-old balancers in which the mark was perfectly aligned.
If it turns out yours is still correct, many of us make a chisel or a scribe mark (or even paint) across both halves of the balancer and check those index marks periodically to verify the parts haven't moved.
Bugger, just when you think your on the right bus!! I can only think that the way to get TDC is to do the plug job, where you can break up a plug and extend the end section, turn the engine until the piston makes contact with the plug, mark the pulley. Then turn the engine the opposite way and again mark the pulley, TDC MUST be midway between the marks, or is there a better method? but thanks for again invaluable info.