Holley 1850, 600cfm

[JMcTurnan]

Ok I checked it, I couldn't figure out the harmoic balancer though. It looked to be fine, the points were good, the vacuum gauge gives the highest reading I adjusted all floats correct and everything. But I can just not get the harmonic balancer lined up, wierd eh?

[cdeal28078]

Did it ever line up? You might have the wrong one or the wrong pointer. Where is your pointer mounted? Some balancers have 2 sets of marks. Other don't
clint

[NM5K]

Well I don't know why its off to be honest. But when we put the new timing chain on we had #1 plug up, and we lined up the dots. But the harmonic balancer doesn't show its in time, but the vacuum gauge does. What would cause this?

How can you check timing with a vacuum gauge?
You use a timing light to check and adjust timing. And you need to
plug and disable the vacuum advance line when you do so.
I'd set the timing to the specified standard factory setting for that
engine to begin with, and go from there.

[JMcTurnan]

You can set it with vacuum gauge, but its not exact. It runs about 1-2 degrees in. But No, I cant get it lined up, I have no clue what it is. Only thing I can guess is I'm off one tooth on the dizzy. But it runs strong, and I really don't want to mess with it to be honest. Cause its my only drivable vehicle, but when I get time Ill try it.

[JMcTurnan]

No it used to line up, up untill I tightened my cam gear because it was loose and grinding my dizzy. The dots were lined up, and piston 1 was up. So it couldn't be that I wouldn't think. Only thing i truely can think of is dizzy was dropped one tooth off.

[fordman]

when you tigthened up the eccentric bolt the dots were still lined up? was the excess chain slack on the passenger side of the chain or the drivers side? or was it really tight and no slack at all? the dist being a tooth off can be fixed by just turning the dist to get it all lined up correctly with the cap and wires / firing order. if the chain had any slack it could have moved the dots after the bolt was tightened. and the engine was started. the slack inthe chain would have let it start out a slight bit before the other gear caught up to it. and there for throwing the dots out of alignment. maybe half a toothe off or soemthing liek that. ignore the vacuum gauge timing thing for now. maybe the balancer has slipped. who knows. how far off is the balancer mark to the timing pointer?

[JMcTurnan]

There was really no slack at all, yea they were lined up. Well Im thinking maybe it did slip, thats all I could think. But yea the marks are like 6 inches from the pointer. So I have no clue, all I know my truck is running strong and getting great gas mileage. So Im weary of touching it you know what I mean? I tugged on the harmonic balancer why it was in there, it fealt tight, but who knows maybe it did slip?

[cdeal28078]

If it runs great and gets great gas mileage I would leve it well enough alone.
clint

[george worley]

You set the timing with a vacuum guage by plugging the vacumm advance line and advance the timing till you get the highest reading and then back the dist up 1" of vacuum. Hook up the vacuum line and test drive it . If it rattles back it up a little till it doesn't knock. That's how we used to time my Flathead Merc. as it didn't have any timing marks.

[JMcTurnan]

Yes george, thats exactly what I did. Your a good man, it just sorta irritating to me that it won't line up. I have electronic ignition, so should that fix it too LOL?

[NM5K]

I guess one could do that, but you still have to tweak it by ear as far as the
pinging. In my case, I would do it by ear and ignore the vacuum gauge.. :/
No real need for it. But myself, if I want to set or check timing, I use a light.
That way I know what the setting is. No guessing involved.

[JMcTurnan]

Yea it sorta works the same way NM5k, I just don't always go 100% by ear. But theres no pinging at all. Yea I used to check it with the light.