Harmonic balancer slippage

[rogus]

Can someone tell me the symptoms of a harmonic balancer slipping so that the tdc mark is no longer indicating tdc? Are there common timing problem symptoms? One last question, on a sbc does turning the distributor clockwise advance or retard timing? It's been awhile since I've had to deal with this that my memory is a little fuzzy.

 

[bracketchev1221]

Turn the distributor counter clockwise to advance it. If the engine tuned correctly, and internally balanced a slipped balancer won't have any impact on the engine running. If you need to set the timing and the balancer has slipped then you have a problem. hard to say exactly which way the outer ring will have slipped but I would guess the engine would look advanced based on the balancer ring.. Best way to check is a piston stop and check for true TDC and if the mark lines up with the pointer.

 

[rogus]

Turn the distributor counter clockwise to advance it. If the engine tuned correctly, and internally balanced a slipped balancer won't have any impact on the engine running. If you need to set the timing and the balancer has slipped then you have a problem. hard to say exactly which way the outer ring will have slipped but I would guess the engine would look advanced based on the balancer ring.. Best way to check is a piston stop and check for true TDC and if the mark lines up with the pointer.

can this cause a loud ticking noise in the engine when running?

 

[bracketchev1221]

can this cause a loud ticking noise in the engine when running?

Maybe if the ring is contacting the timing cover.

 

[rogus]

Maybe if the ring is contacting the timing cover.

so timing being off won't cause a ticking sound from the engine?

 

[bracketchev1221]

If the timing was set right and the balancer ring moved it doesn’t change the timing. The ring doesn’t control timing. Just gives you a reference to set it.

 

[rogus]

If the timing was set right and the balancer ring moved it doesn’t change the timing. The ring doesn’t control timing. Just gives you a reference to set it.

I'm not sure about the timing being right...I should have explained myself better...I'm thinking the balancer timing mark was off before I put it on and I just didn't notice...I have a new one that I will replace it with if it doesn't rain.