I was blasting and painting my balancer today, and I noticed something that I've never seen mentioned here in any of the recurring "Did my timing mark walk?" discussions.

My harmonic balancer (350 block from a '76 Cutlass) is marked on both pieces to indicate where the timing mark should be. The marks are exceptionally clear, and impossible to misinterpret.
There is a nick on the hub portion, just at its outer edge, and another on the outer portion, immediately next to the first mark, and both are aligned with the actual timing mark (but NOT with the keyway).

Here are a couple of pics:





If your balancer has marks like these, then it is easy to be sure the timing mark is accurate.

- Eric

 

My question had always been and never been answered

On a 330, when you get a new balancer it says "DTC must be remarked" What does that mean? If I got one, should I get a 350 timing mark? Will that have it remarked?

Motor in question is a 1967 Olds 330

 

MD you are fortunate. Not all balancers had clear markings like that.
There is usually a big 5/8" hole that the mark lines up with the edge of. You usually have to just eyeball it.

REDOG, when you put a new balancer on a running motor, you have to find top dead center on the piston on the #1 cylinder with a piston stop.
Then make your new zero mark if it doesn't correlate with the zero on whatever tab you are using.

 

Maybe its just on the later motors. How much time have we waisted looking for them damn marks? lol

 

If you have lost your timing marks here's how to find TDC;
Remove #1 spark plug,
Put a rod into the hole until it touches the piston crown,
Turn the engine until it has pushed the rod out as far as it will and then a bit more until the rod has gone down a little,
Accurately measure how far the rod has travelled,
Make a mark on the timing cover and a corresponding one on the pulley,
Turn the engine the other way until the rod has risen then gone down the same length,
Mark the pulley again against the mark on the timing cover.
TDC is halfway between the two marks on the pulley.

Note; this may not correspond to the mark on the pulley, I have come across TDC marks as much as 5 degrees out. Careful and accurate measurement is essential but once done you can confidently set up ignition and valve timing.

Hope this is useful.

Roger.
PS, I put this in another thread earlier and don't know how to move the post, I struggle with computers but have been building engines for years!.

 

It's probably because the 64 330 has the timing marks on the passenger side of the engine, and 65 (and up?) has it on the driver side. Instead of making an application-specific part, they make one for both and leave it up to you to marke it.

 

That's exactly what it means. The comment applies to the 1964 330 ONLY, however it somehow has been incorrectly applied to ALL 330 motors.

 

Easy .... except that you have to first remove the belts and pulley, right?

 

Right.

Two or three belts take about two minutes to remove, then four small bolts hold the pulley on. Probably five minutes total. I admit, it will take about fifteen minutes to get it back together and the belts adjusted, but if you're not sure if your balancer's slipped, it's not too bad.

- Eric

 

Ahhhhhhhhh OK I see now. I have a 67 330 and the timing tabe is on the driver's side.

Thanks a lot, now it makes sense