HELP! No tab on timing cover, no tape(yet)

[JGabl]

Help-
I just realized my nice, chrome, Direct Connection timing cover has no timing tab. It's going on a `67 block. I also have a CAT fluid damper(SFI approved), but i'm not sure of the marks; they seem 180 degrees off compared to my six-pack damp. I've picked up a timing tape, but where to start?? Any help is appreciated!
~Jim.

[brent vendsel]

you can buy a piston stop, it screws in the spark plug hole and prevents the piston from reaching tdc. pull the drivers side valve cover, turn the engine by hand(counter clockwise) until you see the intake valve #1cylinder close. (if you pull all the spark plugs the engine will be easier to spin by hand)
screw in the piston stop.
you can make your own pointer out of some stiff wire, or you could buy one. i would bend one up (i'm cheap), so that it sticks over the damper, and is attached under one of the timing cover bolts.
pointer installed, piston stop installed, spin the engine by hand in the same direction you were when watching the valves until it won't go . make a mark on the damper under the pointer.

now turn the engine in the opposite direction, until the piston stops again. another mark,under the pointer.
now the half way point between the marks should be tdc, a good spot to put your timing tape. good luck!

if you cant find a "piston stop", you could make somethin out of an old spark plug, or you could feed a length of rope into the hole.

[cuda66273]

I made my own...cause I'm an even cheaper bastard than Brent...LOL

Beat the guts out of an old spark plug, run a 3/8 tap through the hole, spin a nut up on a piece of 3/8 allthread and screw it into the spark plug. Now you have a piston stop with a lock device.

You'll also find that the Chinese dampner is not correctly marked for the older engines which have a timing tab on the right side or passenger side of the engine compared to the newer engines which use a mark cast in the timing cover on the drivers side. I believe that the marks are 90* off, which means you need to time the engine off of #4 plug wire????Jeeze now I'm confused????

Just find TDC and mark the cover and time it on the drivers side #1 ..I think...where was I ?????...dam the Chinese have got me all confused....

[cuda66273]

Do us a favor and mark the inner and outer rings of the dampner with some finger nail polish....then let us know how long it takes for the outer ring to slip and throw the timing into a state of total confusious.

The last one I changed had about 150 passes on it and it slipped almost a 1/2"

[JGabl]

Woah!
Cuda- 1/2" huh? Wow, that's alot! I had done a search here on those dampers, and the general concensus had been favorable. We shall see. Okay, back to the main question/topic. BTW-Thanks for the refresher on finding TDC (I was familiar, but it's been a while). Now that I have the balancer marked, and my tape applied, what would be the best way to permanetly reference the cover itself?
Your guys' help has been great!
~Jim.

[JGabl]

Cuda-
Great way to make a reusable stop. I love making reusable "specialty tools" ie:stubby wrenches, etc...Is the length of the 3/8 rod, or how far it extends into the cylinder critical? If it's too long, won't it inhibit the full travel of the piston and give a false read? Just thinking outloud......

[brent vendsel]

JGabl, that is the point of the piston stop, to inhibit full travel. the point halfway between the two marks you make on the damper is top dead center.
as for the timing pointer, if i remember the big blocks i've owned, the pointer(timing tab) is a separate piece that attaches with one of the timing cover bolts. is your cat damper pretty close to the same diameter as the stock one? if not, the easiest way (and cheap ) is to bend a piece of thick wire in a way (jeez i wish there was a white board on this site) that it gets clamped under a timing cover bolt (close to the damper) and sticks out over the the damper.

[JGabl]

BRENT! That's it! Now I fully understand.....stop it one way, stop it the other way, split the difference:TDC!.... that's always been a little fuzzy for me.....
Yes, the balancer is the same dia. I believe the timing tabs on the stock covers are tack welded on. Thanks for your help!
~Jim.

[brent vendsel]

no prob, glad to help!

[brent vendsel]

an attempt...






______ pointer extends over the balancer
/
/
/
o < timing cover bolt goes through this hole