ok so heres the story. sorry its kind of long u can skip the top if u want but it has some background.

got a unknown 305...or 350? that came with my 79 and it ran relativity well all for the carb was kinda hurt. so the harmonic ballancer was toast but when it was running the first time i used a timing light and set it to 9degrees. thing is after i pulled the harmonic balancer i realized the mark i was using to time the engine was a ground in one from the previous owner...... the factory cut one was in another place.... so this problem has kinda been throwing me off when it comes to geting my distributer back in the car and set in a position thats running.

i used the factory one set it to 0 and set it in the #1 firing point and it ran but wouldnt run long and it kinda back fired.

tried 180. it just failed

now im measuring off the old mark on the balancer on the new one with tape and going to set that to 0 and try. i found TDC and it was in the zone of the ground in mark for 0 on the timing plate. now i think tonight i put the tape on the wrong edge but i just don't know yet. so i will keep doing trial and error.

theres not allot of factory parts like timing chain and cover and the timing plate weren't factory when i got it. found a receipt for a timing wheel in the glove box. so i think its got a new cam.

i think i need to make new mark for TDC on piston #1 so that is 0 degrees on the timing mark then put dist in for #1 mark and start creeping back and forth till it fires.

im sorry this is all kind of confusing. im doing my best to explain and i think it will take some trial and error and some twisting of the dist to find the zone i need but it has started and it does run so there is no internal problem with the engine. if anyone can give me some advice in the case im in would greatly help.


thanks

 

Most likely one of two things has been done. Either the harmonic dampener has been changed and remarked to match the original, or the cam has been changed and degreed in with a new mark to match the new cam timing specs.
Either way, you need to stick with the old dampener marks, and if you change to a new dampener you need to match up the keyways, and then mark the new one to match the old one.
You can time them by ear, which is all I've ever done with mine, since I too have a new cam and can't use the timing marks. I simply listen to the engine, and adjust the ditributor to get a good smooth, fast idle. I then drive it to see how it works, and retard it if it pings. Once I get that done I shut it off hot and restart it. If it starts easily I leave it alone. If it starts hard, it's still a little too far advanced, so I back it off a few degrees until it starts hot without issue.
It's worked for me for a lot of years, and I'm not really positive where my timing light is anymore?

 

yeah the new mark does show on the new timing plate thats how i set it to 9degrees at least to that plate. and i will tomorrow paint a new line on it and try setting it that way. and yeah i got a new harmonic balancer witch the key ways line up so i will remark it and try from that new mark. so 98% chance i got a new cam in this 305. eh?

btw the new mark does show TDC in the piston within 1/8 inch. were the normal mark is on a down or up stroke.

so this is normal of new cam timing specs to throw off the timing mark on the harmonic balancer is mainly what im asking.

 

You bet it does! It throws the timing marks way off with a new camshaft! I've never purchased those degree wheels that allow us to set a cam up so we can mark a new timing mark, or install a new indicator. They work, but I've just done it the way it's worked for me.

 

yeah i dont know what they do ik u use it to rotate the cam so it lines up correct to the crank or something, shows all the degrees and when a valves open or closed. i personally dont know too much crap bout my engine but its got 305 heads and a wrong casting number on the block. so yeah. also mods i dont know but it had a new ish timing chain and rusted specter timing chain covers and valve covers that i repainted.

 

There are a couple different balancers and timing mark tabs out there and sometimes they get mixed up on small blocks.
You probably have the wrong indicator tab on your timing cover for the balancer that's on there.
No big deal,that may be why someone added a mark on the balancer.

 

Heh,that brings back some memories,exactly what I used to do with my 427.
I ran that thing so hard all the time that at least once a week I'd adjust the solid lifter cam and also do a few runs to dial in the ignition timing by ear as just as you described.
Every once in a while I'd pull the dual point dizzy out to check the points and clean/adjust them (easier than doing it in the car) then drop it back in and do a few runs to dial it in again.

 

yeah theres something about point style dizzys i like alot. might not be saying that when i cant get it goin lol.

i will copy the mark from the old one to the new one i put on cause my old one was missing rubber. also i think its cammed so thats a plus

 

The problem was that el-cheapo timing cover that was put on there. The factory one had a timing tab welded to it, to be read from the top of the motor straight down behind the water pump, these are a later model block. The original timing mark is at 12 noon at tdc, right? On the older model blocks the timing mark was at about 2 o'clock, with corresponding timing tab that bolts directly to the motor around the perimiter of the timing cover itself. Aftermarket timing covers almost always come in this configuration. As for the timing mark moving with a new cam, well thats new to me. Cam timing and iginition timing are two different things. I always use a timing light. If your unsure about setting timing here is the best video around www.setyourtiming.com , the guy talking is David Frieburger the editor of Hot Rod.

 

All the above is assuming the balancer notch is accurate.
As long as you have an automatic transmission, there's an even easier and accurate way to set your timing, without a timing light or marks. You need a buddy (one you can trust) to sit in the drivers seat, stand on the brakes, and give it some gas to brake-torque the engine (short of trying to break the tires free). Advance the timing until you start to hear the engine ping. Then slowly retard the timing back until the pinging stops. Your timing is now set at optimum advance (where you want it), under a load, with no pre-detonation ping.