timing tape

Has anyone here used timing tape on their engines? I'm assuming it goes around the balancer and can hopefully be used for setting up valve lash / roller rocker arm adjustment (my main concern) as well as fine tuning timing (not so important for now)? Please fill me in or explain procedure for using timing tape.

Allen
allioop108@aol.com

 

i HAVE used it on my 455, but cant seem to keep it from flying off. Even after sanding the balancer all the way to bare metal. It is very hady tool when setting the timing. Right now, the only portion of the tape left on the motor is the part from 0 -50 degrees, lOL (the needed part)
The 6 3/4 chevy tape is the right size.

Dean

 

Use the tape and transfer the marks to balancer using a stamp kit and a chisel.....All you really need is 0-40 and 90,180,and 270.

 

Thats exactly what i was going to do except with some paint. Thanks everyone.

Allen
allioop108@aol.com :beer

 

Here's one you can do if you have access to a lathe.

I have a bored out degree wheel that goes between threaded spindle shoulder and chuck.

Spinning down the chuck locks the degree wheel in place.

The dampener gets clamped on the inside bore - most chucks will crank down far enough to grip the dampener this way. (Assuming the lathe's not over 12" or so swing).

Set up a pointer - bent and sharpened to a point welding rod works fine.

Be sure the dampeners zero mark matches the degree wheel's zero mark.

Orient the cutting bit in the tool holder so that it will cut as the lathes carriage/tool block is drawn left to right. (The lathe will not be running and it may be a good idea to unplug it.)

It will help to use a machinists jack to lock the chuck/dampener in place.
Don't get too carried away here because the little machinists jacks can lift 2000# and you could bend the lathe's spindle nose. (For those unfamiliar with a machinists jack, they're a small screw jack and you could probably carry 10 of them in one pocket of your Levi's.)

Once the dampener is locked, advance the lathe cross slide until the cutting tool is .002 - .005 into the dampener surface.
Then use the carriage handwheel to draw the carriage from left to right leaving a straight and very professional appearing line engraved into the dampeners metal.
Use a carriage stop to limit the length of the mark. This assures equally sized marks.

You can mark the dampener very accurately using this method and in fact I've made more than a few aluminum dampener covers - sort of a rotating dampener scatter shield which we used before NHRA approved dampeners were required or available.

Many of them were engraved every degree from zero to 50 degrees.
The ten degree marks were longest, five degree marks medium length and one degree marks the shortest.

Aside from marks every 90 degrees, you'll probably find it works well to mark the dampener every two degrees starting with 30 and going to perhaps 40.

Some of the aluminum dampener covers were marked zero to 50 as mentioned and they were also marked every 90 and every 120 degrees.

For the racing engines we were dealing with the aluminum dampener covers were retained with the three (usually) pulley bolt holes using flathead allens.
The aluminum piece was countersunk to match.

A dampener like this could be cut to about .120 on the face and sandwiched between dampener and pulley.
A .120 shim under the water pump pulley and shimming out the alternator pulley assures alignment.