mpatilla

I was setting my engine timing and the marks on the harmonic balancer are fluctuating back and forth. It just fluctuates worse when I rev up the engine. Is this a bad timing chain? Any other possible causes?

Thanks!

atec77

could be timing chain , might be a bad balancer , how old is it ?

mpatilla

I just replaced the distributor and that seems to help the problem. The timing is remaining steady but now I am getting significant engine ping when the engine is under load. I'm sure that the timing chain and harmonic balancer have never been replaced in the 40 years and 140 K miles of the car.

When replacing the distributor, will the engine run at all if you get the rotor one position off of the right place?

MP

Cruzin67

MP, yes the motor will run but you would have to rotate the dist to compensate. If memory serves, there are 16 teeth on the distributor drive gear and it you are off one tooth, you would have to rotate the dist 22.5 degrees to compensate. I had this happen to me with a 289 once and tried to move the dist but the vacuum advance mechanism would not allow me to rotate it enough so it had to come out and go back in correctly. Steve

mpatilla

Thank you! That explains everything. Apparently I have done the same thing!

MP