how to verify TDC and that the damper marks are correct

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
1. How do I tell if my harmonic balancer has slipped?

THE INTAKE , ON OR OFF HAS NO EFFECT, JUST BE SURE TO TAKE THE ENGINE OUT OF GEAR AND PUT THE PARKING BRAKE ON AND REMOVE THE ROCKER ARMS FROM CYLINDER #1 BEFORE STARTING SO YOU DON,T DAMAGE THE VALVES AND REMOVE THE PLUGS FROM THE OTHER CYLINDERS TO MAKE THE ENGINE EASY TO TURN WITH A BREAKER BAR AND DISCONNECT THE BATTERY SO NO ONE HITS THE STARTER AND DAMAGES A PISTON

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http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=3316&prmenbr=361"
look closely you can easily build your own with a 7/16" tap and an old spark plug and a 7/16" bolt ok heres how you do it without spending much money, first get a majic marker and pull all your spark plugs. make a piston stop from an old spark plug and bolt.or buy a commercial piston stop like the one in the picture. remove the rocker arms from cylinder #1 install the piston stop and BY HAND NOT USEING THE STARTER rotate the engine slowly by hand with a breaker bar and socket untill the piston stops when it hits the piston stop as it almost reaches TDC, take the majic marker and draw a line on your DAMPER exactly even with the (0-TDC) timeing line on your on your timeing tab , now rotate the engine in the other direction untill it stops and again take the majic marker and draw a line on your DAMPER exactly even with the timeing (TDC)line on your TIMING TAB, the marks will be about 1'-1.5" apart depending on how far down the cylinder the piston stopped., TDC on the DAMPER is exactly in the center of the two marks,you made,(if the damper has not slipped and your useing the correct damper and timing tab,for your engine, that should be where the factory TDC was already marked on the damper, now remove the piston stop, rotate the damper to the CORRECT TDC location hopefullly its where the factory line says it should be)
the further you screw in the piston stop the lower in the cylinder the piston is stopped, and the further apart the two marks will be but TDC will still be centered between the two marks on the damper. of course if you stop the piston extremely low in the cylinder the marks will be so far apart that they are hard to find the center exactly, I try for stopping the piston about 1/8" down in the cylinder

http://www.2quicknovas.com/happyTDC.html

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look at the picture carefully
the small 7/16 thread ,on the tool threads into the crank, the damper slips over the tool, the large washer style bearing slips over the tool followed by the solid washer followed by the large nut that threads on the tool, the back of the tool is normally a 9/16 or 5/8 hex this is held with a box end wrench to keep the engine from turning, the large nut is usually a 1 1/8" nut and it is tightened with an open end 1 1/8" wrench or a adjustable wrench against the two washers drawing the damper onto the crank snout! lube the threads on the tool, the inside of the damper and crank snout with oil before starting. the damper will normally slide on about 1/4 of the way bye hand then the tool is needed to draw the damper on the last 3/4 of the distance, don,t over tighten the tool the 7/16" thread will snap off in the crank after the damper bottoms out on the lower timing gear if you do!,
NEVER USE A HAMMER AND BLOCK OF WOOD TO DRIVE THE DAMPER ON, YES THOUSANDS OF GUYS THINK THEY DID IT WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS BUT...
IT WILL DAMAGE THE THRUST BEARING CLEARANCES,
IT CAN BREAK THE ELASTOMER TORSION RING ON STOCK DAMPERS
IT CAN CAUSE THE INERTIAL RING ON FLUIDAMPER TO BECOME JAMMED INTERNALLY
IT CAN CAUSE THE DAMPER TO FAIL.
IF THE DAMPER FAILS THE CRANK WILL EVENTUALLY BE DAMAGED
IT GREATLY STRESSES THE CRANK SHAFT
IT CAN DAMAGE THE CRANKS TRANSMISSION PILOT BEARING
IT CAN DAMAGE THE TRANSMISSION
ALMOST EVERY TYPE OF DAMAGE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOWS UP RIGHT AWAY, BUT IT WILL DAMAGE THE PARTS LISTED AND THERE'S THOUSANDS OF GUYS THAT ARE WONDERING WHY THOSE PARTS FAILED 6-24 Months LATER WITH NO CLUE AS TO THE CAUSE!
ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION, IF CRANKSHAFTS THAT ARE A FEW THOUSANDS OUT OF LINE I.E. NOT PERFECTLY STRAIT ARE BENT/STRAITENED WITH A LEAD HAMMER BY CRANK MANUFACTURES (and yes that's how its done) AND CRANKS THAT ARE DROPPED ON A CONCRETE Floor SOMETIMES BEND SLIGHTLY ,(happens all the time) WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT BEATING ON THEM WITH A HAMMER AND A BLOCK OF WOOD WONT DAMAGE THEM?
AND WHILE WERE AT IT WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO SOME GUY YOU CAUGHT BEATING ON YOUR ENGINE BLOCK WITH A HAMMER? WELL WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CRANKS DOING TO YOUR MAIN CAPS WHEN YOU BEAT ON THE CRANK? PROPERLY USED THAT INSTALLATION TOOL CAN EXERT OVER 15 TONS OF PRESSURE TO SLIDE THE DAMPER ON, IF IT WONT SLIDE ON, THERE'S A PROBLEM! FIND IT AND FIX IT .....DON,T BEAT ON THE DAMPER/CRANK


viewtopic.php?f=50&t=455&p=559&hilit=+turning+engine#p559

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viewtopic.php?f=50&t=611&p=812&hilit=+balancer+timing#p812

crank rotators
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flywheel turning tools
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http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/80743/10002/-1

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s ... m=55580530

having the correct tools for the job helps
 
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