350 timing question???

[J Cooper]

on the charlie trucks new chevy 355 when we timed it, we didnt have a timing light so i power timed it and checked for dieseling or pinging and it did neither and it does not hard start. it runs perfect, i cant even bump the motor over cause it starts so easily. and on the highway it doesnt clatter or diesel when i shut it off, starts right back up after hard driving. but when i did get a timing light it says the motor is at 60 degrees advanced. wtf?? i thought maybe the balancer was spun because it did shake at deceleration. new balancer still reads at about 50-60 degrees advanced. ????

what could it be??
i am using one of the mr. gasket side timing marks because of the short water pump, but i dont see why that would change zero.
the wires on the distributor are all moved over 1 so that i was able to get more timing because of clearance issues... but that should not change anything.
if the valves were not adjusted to full top dead center would this change anything at all. i adjusted the valves but the old mans garage i was using started adjusting the first valve when i wasnt looking so i told him to **** off and i did the rest... so it might not be a complete top dead zero. but i took his word for it.
and i am using a cheap harbor freight total advance light??? trust??

but like i said the truck runs perfect, could not be happier with it, its awesome.... butttttttttttt when you put a light on it, it reads 60 degrees... which for all i know it shouldnt even start.

what do you guys think............ fred???

[Fredo]

that's a lot.....are you pulling the vaccuum advance line off and plugging it when you're checking timing? also, tell me more about this aftermarket timing tab you're using. when the motor is at TDC, is the mark on the balancer lined up with 0 on the tab? If not, that could be part of your problem. If all of that looks good, I'd try a different timing light.

[J Cooper]

yeah im pulling the vaccuum advance off, we checked it to top dead once and i think it was fine, ill go out there right now and check again with the new balancer. if its right ill check it with another light. but like i said it runs way to good to be even a little off.

and the aftermarket tab is just like the one on the right.

[fbronco86]

yeah im pulling the vaccuum advance off, we checked it to top dead once and i think it was fine, ill go out there right now and check again with the new balancer. if its right ill check it with another light. but like i said it runs way to good to be even a little off.

and the aftermarket tab is just like the one on the right.

The timing tabs should be reset everytime you take them off. I have had trouble with them before.

[J Cooper]

The timing tabs should be reset everytime you take them off. I have had trouble with them before.

so you do have to make a new mark when using a tab like this, since its in a different location?

or should the groove on the balancer line up with the tab??

[Fredo]

well, you should make sure the motor is at tdc, then check to see where the balancer is lined up on the tab. If it's at zero, then the tab is right, but if you're at TDC and the balancer isn't lined up with the tab, then there's your problem. You're going to need to pull the spark plug for #1 and also the valve cover so that you can see when it comes around to TDC. Crank the engine over by hand and bring the number 1 piston up and right after it tops out, the number 1 intake valve rocker arm should start to move. It it does, then that was TDC. If the exhaust moves, you need to rotate it around again. Then you can check to make sure your balancer is lining up with the tab at TDC. It's not 100% acurrate, but I'm sure you don't want to pull the head off just to check. Also, are you timing off of the number one cylinder? driver's side front cylinder?

[J Cooper]

ya thats what i was gonna do next, make sure im top dead with #1 valve and not the exhaust.. thats what i was thinking last night....

and yes im timing off the #1, im not that dumb... i did put the motor together and its not my first rodeo.... just stumped on the whole timing tab deal... if a new mark needs to be made since it is moved over a couple inches or if it should still read the same.

[Fredo]

wait, you're saying that the tab is two inches from where the stock tab was and you're wondering why it shows 60 degrees of timing?

[J Cooper]

the people that sold it to me and everyone and their ****ing mothing keep saying "zero is zero, it doesnt matter where the tab is in relation to the balancer"

i said exactly what you said, and they act like im a ****ing retard

[mudtoy67]

well, you should make sure the motor is at tdc, then check to see where the balancer is lined up on the tab. If it's at zero, then the tab is right, but if you're at TDC and the balancer isn't lined up with the tab, then there's your problem. You're going to need to pull the spark plug for #1 and also the valve cover so that you can see when it comes around to TDC. Crank the engine over by hand and bring the number 1 piston up and right after it tops out, the number 1 intake valve rocker arm should start to move. It it does, then that was TDC. If the exhaust moves, you need to rotate it around again. Then you can check to make sure your balancer is lining up with the tab at TDC. It's not 100% acurrate, but I'm sure you don't want to pull the head off just to check. Also, are you timing off of the number one cylinder? driver's side front cylinder?


That doesn't sound right....

If the piston hits TDC and as it starts to go down the intake valve opens, that was TDC of the exhaust stroke. He needs to keep going another 360 degrees of the crank to reach TDC of the compression stroke.

EDIT:I guess it doesn't matter if you were just trying to tell him where TDC was in general


i am using one of the mr. gasket side timing marks because of the short water pump, but i dont see why that would change zero.

Coop, there are several different timing tabs for the SBC. The two you show in the pic above read at two different positions.....the left one uses a balancer that has the timing mark straight up at TDC, the right uses a different balancer with the timing mark pointed toward the drivers side head at TDC. If you have the part number for your balancer call Jonathon Eaker and he can probably tell you which tab you need. If you get the right tab and the timing mark still doesn't line up at TDC compression stroke then you may have a balancer that has slipped.

[agjohn02]

my lt1 has no keyway on the balancer. it has timing marks you have to line up. if yours is the same, this could be the issue.

[mudtoy67]

I don't think it's an LT1 is it?

I know what you're talking about though. I had to do a cam/lifters on a impala ss once. That balancer is kind of a pain. The normal balancer intall tool won't fit, had to make one with all thread and some heavy washers.

[agjohn02]

no, didnt mean it that way, but it could be similar... possibly.