damper install

[CJHenderson]

When installing my damper I noticed that one of the two keyways doesn't line up, when I turn it 180 degrees it does. I know I have asked some dumb question but I thought that the damper can line up either ways, am I wrong in thinking that?

[ja17]

The damper lines up correctly only one way. The other way is slightly out of alignment.

[CJHenderson]

After I installed the damper and tried to set it to TDC the timing marks are 180 degrees out, but when I pull and reinstall the damper the other way then the alignment keys seem to be out of alignment. Should I pop out the keys and install the damper first then insert the keys?

[stickandrudderman]

You should physically confirm that No.1 piston is at TDC when you check your timing marks.

[CJHenderson]

I have the head off and can confirm I'm at TDC

[Benz Dr.]

I have the head off and can confirm I'm at TDC

Compression or exhaust?

[CJHenderson]

Since I have the head off I get the same reading both compression and exhaust TDC and ends at the 0 mark on the damper, though the pins look to be swapped which makes no sense. Should I swap the pins around?

[ja17]

With the head off, it is easy to verify when the piston #1 is on top dead center. Install the damper at "0" and you should be able to drive the pins in place.

[CJHenderson]

Without the head on then the only way is to go by the timing mark and being either at compression or exhaust stroke at TDC the pointer is at 0 degrees. The problem is that if I install the damper then the keys should line up but they don't. One pin looks to be larger and the other smaller and when lining them up to go in then I can see that they will not fit, but if I turn the damper 180 degrees then they appear to line up but the timing marks are also 180 out. I'm confused at how this picture looks. I have already once install this damper 180 out of phase and it fit but no timing marks can be seen. Question comes to mind is that the damper might not be for this motor and there I'm grabbing at straws.

[stickandrudderman]

I might seem obvious but you are trying to install the damper the correct way around?
With the piston at TDC and the damper installed over the offset keys there's no way it should not be pointing zero.
If you do have the wrong damper it has the potential to be way out of balance.

[CJHenderson]

If I do have the wrong damper then the folks that owned it put it on which at this point I would not be surprised at all. They ran the motor without antifreeze and by the way the valves looked they never used high test gas. Not to mention that the car had been hit on the right side and has quite a bit of corrosion, so nothing is out of the realm when it comes to this car. The worst part is that so far into this car that I cannot back out.

[Benz Dr.]

If you have the engine all apart with only the crank and pistons installed then TDC is either way but there's only one correct TDC and that's when the pins line up properly. It's possible to install the damper completely out and then your distributor and IP will be out of time to your damper position. I once had a car come in (nonrunning) where the crank and cam were in time but the IP and distributor were out 180 degrees to everything else. That took a bit of looking to figure that mess out.

[CJHenderson]

Well the head, distributor, and injector pump are off so that means that it's just the crank is what I'm working with. I'm down to switching the two alignment pins around.

[CJHenderson]

Finally, was able to install the damper. Had to remove one alignment pin and then tap the damper on with a mallet until It was solidly on the crankshaft, after that ratchetted most of the way in until the crank started to turn, at that point reinstalled the alignment pin, and the final step was to use my impact wrench to drive it the rest of the way on. Now I have the crank at 8 degree ATDC. My next step is to rebuild the head.