Hey guys need some help on trying to figure out where my timing mark is. The engine is from a 91 Z28 5.7. Did this swap in January and the car ran like a top. Been having a miss problem lately so going over what I can. Did plugs, wires, coil, new distributor. Tried to see where base timing was and couldn't find it. The timing tab is there and I marked the timing mark with whiteout. EST was unplugged. Has a new balancer also. What's going on?

 

Probably the wrong damper for your timing tab.

Where is your timing tab mounted?

 

It's mounted at the 2 o'clock position. I put on a new balancer and made sure the part numbers were the same for the 87 TA and 91 Z28.

This is the weird thing though. Went out tonight to try base timing again and for kicks I put the timing light lead on cyl #3 & #5 and I was actually able to see it. It was ATDC and off the tab, but was there. Could this mean my distributor is off? I don't understand that.

 

Sounds like you got the wrong balancer.

Take it off and match the keyways up on both balancers then look at the timing marks.

 

Oh boy. I don't have the old balancer to check that.

 

Yup, that'd be the wrong spot...

Should be at about 12:00. Since you have the correct damper, that's where its mark is expecting the tab to be; which explains why that other tab you have is NOWHERE CLOSE.

 

I have to disagree. The 87+ used the timing tab in the 2 o'clock position. It was the engines before then that used the 12.

 

I have a 87 and my timing tab are at the 2 o'clock position. Worst case, get a piston stop and find tdc.