i have a 84 camaro and i just put a brand new crate 350 engine in it.

i put on a brand new harmonic balancer and i am trying to set the base timing on the car but the timing mark shows up at 11 12 o'clock on the balancer the closer it gets to being on the scale the rougher it runs.

right now the motor seems like it shakes a little bit but it does run rough. any ideas??

im using the ccc dizzy and carb i tried unplugging the 4 pack connector from the back of the dizzy and tried timing it then. but now the motor shakes more.

yes im on number one cylinder with the timing light, yes my firing order is right,yes the line on the balancer lines up when i turn the motor to TDC by hand am i off a tooth on the dizzy??

and yes i did look on the passenger side for the est connector couldn't find it at all but i also did read up that 85 and under didn't have the est so i would disconnect the 4pack connector that goes from the dizzy to the wire harness that runs behind it

 

You've got the wrong balancer with the timing mark in a different location.

 

yea except i already checked that, when turn the motor by the balancer bolt the mark on the balancer lines up with TDC and i pulled the plug out of #1 cylinder and it all lines up, if what u were saying was true i would be half down in cylinder 1 and i am not

 

It wouldn't be half way down, it'd be down maybe 1/8". If you just reached in and felt the piston top, you didn't check anything. Use a piston stop, or compare with your old balancer.

 

Does that crate engine have a roller cam by any chance? What distributor did you put back in it?

 

i will check the balanacers between each other. and im using the stock computer controlled dizzy and carb and no the crate motor does not have a roller cam in it. its the 290hp 320tq from summit GM crate motor

im trying to get all the computer controlled stuff to work right so i can get threw inspection and then im switching the carb and dizzy to a MSD street fire one wit vaccum advance on it

 

I don't know the results when not changed because I have changed them when I would do the swap but you do need the prom for a 350 and the EST as well.
And I swear my 84 Z28 had the tan wire in the computer harness to unplug for setting the time. If your under hood stick is visable it would say. The only ones I remember back then having to unplug the 4 wire connector was the V6's (mom had a 2.8 S10 and that is how it was done)