When my machine shop rebuilt my engine, they told me not to buy a new one, they would just put some punch marks on both halves (either side of the rubber piece) at TDC 0 degrees. I said 'ok'.

Now in attempt to get the motor to run right, my "regular" mechanic says "no way, no how" will the engine run right with this balancer. Who should I believe, does having a harmonic balancer that has slipped but you know where TDC is matter?

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mike r
racing is real
everything else is just a game.
81 capri-302-7.25 @93mph 1/8
1.54 60 ft.

In fact, can you read a number on it?

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Originally posted by capri man:
i would worry about it slipping again or worse yet coming apart. ever seen the damage that a 6in piece of steel spinning at about 5000 rpm can do under the hood of a car!!! it ainr a pretty sight!!

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Good point, I will keep this in mind...

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
Putting aside the assumption that the balancer slipped 70 degrees, is it possible that the timing cover has been changed to a different year that used the timing mark on the other side, or that it's a different year balancer?

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You could be on the money there Steve. I'm not sure how the exact setup would have been OEM. Now, it is a LH (driverside) water pump outlet waterpump with the timing pointer on the RH (passenger side), serpentine belt setup. So this would account for *some* of the degrees that I'm off on the marks...

quote:

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
In fact, can you read a number on it?

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Yes you can still see the numbers/tick marks okay. They literally just do not correspond to anything being the ~70 degrees away.

I don't want to run the engine until I figure out for sure, better safe than sorry (and ask here!)

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Originally posted by 65ponycar:
You could be on the money there Steve. I'm not sure how the exact setup would have been OEM. Now, it is a LH (driverside) water pump outlet waterpump with the timing pointer on the RH (passenger side), serpentine belt setup. So this would account for *some* of the degrees that I'm off on the marks...

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That's opposite of what a '65 engine should have. Before '70, Ford small blocks had the lower radiator hose on the right side and timing marks on the right.

By numbers on the balancer, I meant the casting number, like C50E... for example.

3 bolt would be the correct balance and the correct location of numbers for a 65/68 timing cover.

4 bolt would at the very least have the numbers off by about 1/3 (or maybe 70 degrees ) and if it is a later balancer it could even have the wrong counterbalance.

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
That's opposite of what a '65 engine should have. Before '70, Ford small blocks had the lower radiator hose on the right side and timing marks on the right.

By numbers on the balancer, I meant the casting number, like C50E... for example.

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about the numbers! I was so focused on the timing marks I was blinded to anything else... I will head out to the garage in a minute and check. Also, I forgot to mention in this post that the motor I'm working with is a 302, 1969 vintage (out of a Mustang.) From the sounds of it though, it should of originally been the same setup as a 65 289.

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
Yes, a slipped balancer will vibrate and like Mike said potentially grenade. I saw one blow on a small block chevy once while the guy was setting his timing in the pits at the drags. I bet the guy needed to change his underwear after that adventure.

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Thanks for clearing that up, I always like to have a clear understanding instead of just "being told" opposite things from different "authorities" like my machine shop and mechanic... I think I'll mention this to the machine shop guy, just to see if he ever thought or heard of a slipped balancer doing this, maybe it will save another FORD guy later down the road... BTW, a gernaded balancer is the last thing I need/want

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
Do it use a 3 bolt pulley or a 4 bolt pulley?
3 bolt would be the correct balance and the correct location of numbers for a 65/68 timing cover.

4 bolt would at the very least have the numbers off by about 1/3 (or maybe 70 degrees ) and if it is a later balancer it could even have the wrong counterbalance.

Scott

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Scott it is a 4 bolt, so by your description maybe it has not slipped after all if I'm understanding you correctly?

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Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
In fact, can you read a number on it?

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OK, these numbers were on the *outer* ring (on the bigger diameter steel ring). Separated 180 degrees, in a small embossed box on the front face (as you look directly on the engine) 6910 and 180 degrees straight across in another embossed area RD.

No where did I see a FORD or FOMOCO or etc, do you think this is a stock piece or possibly aftermarket? only thing out of those numbers I could guess is '69xx' is the number of the year, but I just triple checked and it has a four bolt pulley hanging off of it, so that part doesn't make sense

If you looked straight on to the balancer and thought of it as the face of a clock, the timing pointer for a 289 3 bolt balancer would be at around 2 o'clock position, whereas the marks for a 4 bolt 302 would be at 10 o'clock position.

The particular balancer I saw come apart had the rubber spit out and the outer ring then wobbled back and forth trashing the timing cover and lower pulley, sounding like all hell was breaking loose. Must have been fun with the guy's face down there reading the timing marks.