Summit harmonic balancer can't find TDC mark?

**lyons17r** · 07-12-2012, 11:34 PM

Motor gm 383
It's the 6.6" Balancer I'm pretty shure
Some idot decided to buy Summit balancer and put it on my motor for my dlm and a chunk of dirt got stuck in there and wore off the paint of the balancer ( there was another idot along the line that painted the balancer black) and I can see some writing like where it says summit and the square box that started its SFi approved but I can't find any tdc mark, dose anyone know or have pics of the tdc mark so ican have a idea of how faint it's gonna be.

There was 2 or 3 idiots,
1st one said not to put a deep engraved mark on the balancer (someone at Summit)
2nd one bought the balancer for a dirt motor
3rd one painted the dang thing, but could also be the same idiot as # 2...lol

**let-r-eat** · 07-13-2012, 12:14 AM

Your best bet would be to get a piston stop and put in #1 plug. Find true TDC from that and mark the balancer yourself. There is no guarantee the factory mark is correct if you could find it.

**Egoracing** · 07-13-2012, 07:47 AM

Agree, it is best to find it yourself. I have seen some name brand balancers off 3-5 degrees on the TDC mark.

**dirty white boy** · 07-13-2012, 01:38 PM

then order you a timing tap for that size balancer an adhere it to balencer in right location

**usafracer** · 07-13-2012, 06:31 PM

And draw a line on the inner and outer hub to make sure it doesn't spin!! I had two do that to me last year. That is when I quit buying summit brand.

**dirty white boy** · 07-14-2012, 12:23 AM

...if you worryed bout it an got da budget,..ATI damper would be funds well invested,..speacily on a dlm motor!

**Hurst390** · 07-14-2012, 10:32 AM

ATI is the best balancer out there but every one of mine are off 2 degrees on tdc...and I have 3....(AMC engine)
tape falls off in my experience...scribe in tdc and scribe in where you set your timing..
Use a stop like mentioned and tdc is the middle point of both marks you make when you his that stop with the piston...If you don't have a degree'd balancer or a degree wheel ..once you verify tdc then get an accurate measurment of the diameter of the balancer..multiply that x pie(3.14) and then divide that by 360...then take that number and multiply it by the number of degrees you want to run for total timing...that will be how far you measure from tdc to scribe for your total timing mark(I use dial calipers)..now there is a radius element that really should be used to get that number but Im not smart enough to remember it...I've done it this(my) way and then checked with a degree wheel and it is accurate without the radius element in the equation! !