Once I get my timing cover fastened up It's time to attend to the damper. It's original with 70,000 miles on it. To me it appears to have some rubber cracking going on. Should I just paint it up and take a chance. Don't expect to run very high rpms all the time...

 

Also when you use the balancer installer how does one know when the balancer is on far enough....Been years since I done a cam install.. and does the timing cover crank seal just press on with no sealant?

 

Rich,

You can install the old damper if you like. Make sure the cracking in the rubber is only superficial. Try to flex the outer ring against the rubber elsatomer ring to see if it is fairly rigid, or beginning to tear.

The timing cover seal should have a thin layer of dry sealant on its perimeter when you take it out of the package - almost like paint or ink. There should be no other sealant required.

Once the seal and cover are installed, and before the damper is pulled into position, apply a thin layer of clean grease or ATF to the end of the balancer hub to provide a little lubrication on startup and help avoid tearing the seal during installation.

Use your puller bolt (not the balancer bolt) to pull the balancer into position. Monitor the Woodruff key to make sure it starts in the keyway correctly. Resistance should increase and motion should stop once the hub is seated. As long as the end of the hub is inside the timing cover seal, it should be on far enough to safely install the bolt and torque it to the spec. The bolt will finish pulling the hub against the crank before reaching the final torque of 60 ft/lb for a small block, 85 ft/lb for a BBC.