Hey guys! Can anyone confirm that this is the mark for timing? If so it looks like my balancer has only moved a slight bit from its original location it seems. Thanks!

 

I'm not familiar with the 1956, but the 54-55 have a long pointer similar to what I can see in the photo. I suspect your right, but this post will bring your thread back to the top where someone else who knows for sure can weigh in.

John

 

Those are the timing marks. They are just like the ones on my 54.

 

Thanks Red! The fact they are off a little bit from each other does that mean chain slack or could the balancer just have walked a bit? thanks!

 

The balancer has slipped a little. The chain probably has some slack in it but that would not cause the balancer to be off.

 

Thanks Red, so listen to this! I figured I would probably be very advanced because my vacuum advance was bad and putting the new one on made it ping horribly! Anyway, checked it tonight and it was probably at about 30 to 50 at idle!!!!! Couldn't even see the marks they were up towards the middle of the balancer!! Also when running I noticed the gap between the two pieces of the balancer got a little more opened, the start of the outer was about in the middle of the inner marks at the 850rpn.. now that I'm around 0btdc the marks are both lined up correctly!! What does that mean? The chain was stretching because of so much advance? I hope I didn't hurt anything! It only pinged for about a couple or few miles.. that balancer doing that really makes me curious as to how that works!! Thanks for the help guys!

 

The rubber in the balancer degrades after years and heat. When rebuilding my engine I had the balancer remanufactured and balanced with the rest of the moving engine parts before reassembly. Timing chains also wear with age along with gears, had help with degreeing cam after new chain and gears were installed.

 

If you are getting any movement at all your balancer is de laminating and will soon give it up.I use these guys but there are others that do the same job... Tedd http://www.damperdudes.net/

 

Thanks guys, what throws me off is how just advancing the timing made the two marks go farther apart, and retarding it made them line up.. it wasn't even at a different RPM. Also when the engine was off but advanced they were a little off, now that it's retarded they are spot on! I just don't understand how that works.

 

So what I'm seeing is the inertia ring and the balancer marks separate when the timing is advanced. When advanced they are off a little running and when shut off. When retarded they line up perfectly on or off.. just curious if that's normal and how that happens/works.

 

Fusick also rebuilds the balancers. Send them yours, it will take a while, but they do a nice job of revulcanizing. I had mine done about 10 years ago with them. It had completely failed and was just floating free on the crank flange. Had a nice ring to it while running.

 

Thanks! I already emailed them yesterday and am discussing buying one through them. What still has me curious as all hell is how this thing can move with timing advanced and go back to correct with retarded! My only theory is maybe the stress on the crank when advanced is making it absorb more inertia and the rubber isn't completely broke just weak so it moves, but when gone is snaps back.. no idea!

 

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Are you checking with vacume advance connected or disconnected? olds engines of the day need the spark advance disconnected, and port blocked, reset RPM to 1000 rpm then set and mark should be line up, that is the procedure, otherwise engine wont perform.
Frank Allen