I went to check my timing yesterday, and I noticed that there was no tab on my timing chain cover! It must have happened in the last month because it was there at the beginning of the season. Any way I can temporarily make a marking as a reference point? I've never seen this happen before.

 

Can't say I've had the problem before. Possible, though- a spinning dampener that grabs onto something and flings it around could probably rip the tab off.

 

Yea, fairly common. they only have a little tack weld holding them on.


you can pick up an aftermarket (mr gasket and whatnot) tab that bolts on using the same bolts that hold the timing cover. their only a couple bucks.

 

Not if your original timing pointer was in the 12:00 position.

 

yea, sofakingdom brought up that little issue a while ago.

buy one, $2-5, bolt it on, then turn over your motor by hand, and verify TDC through the #1 spark plug hole. If TDC lines up with 0 on your tab, done deal, otherwise, you can just know that you're 35* off or whatever, and account for that, or buy an adjustable pointer, and point it to the mark on your balancer.

 

An adjustable timing pointer wouldn't give you enough range, but you can always scribe a new line on the balancer, or use a timing tape, or a balancer cover.