Ok I have posted it here briefly and never got a clear answer. I want to be able to time the car after the motor swap, so I'd like to have a functional way to do that with a timing light. My car is an 88 Iroc with a 305 TPI and T5 trans. I bought the car with the motor blown and the harmonic balancer and timing chain cover missing. I don't have them and have no idea what they looked like. The replacement engine is a 350 from an 87 GTA. I am going to use the serpentine system from my 87.
1. Do I need a balancer with the timing mark at 12 O'clock or a little before (On the left, standing in front of the car looking at engine)
2. Do I need a timing cover with the pointer at 12 O'clock or off to the right side as pictured from the '87 engine
3. Do I want a timing cover without any timing pointer and just buy one that bolts on using the timing cover bolts?

I've googled til my eyes gave out. I cannot find anything solid for answers. It's mostly arguing or people saying they have used so many different methods. I've had some folks tell me they did one way and someone else says they are wrong. It's all so confusing.

I am used to wrenching on LS stuff and/or SBF (I'm a former Fox Body guy that saw the 3rd Gen light and came to the right side haha) so I am completely lost with timing, pointers and everything in between. I have NO idea what I am doing when it comes to this dept.

The pics showing the used parts are the parts I removed from the 87 350 TPI engine.

 

Don't overthink it. Older SBCs use the 12 o clock timing tab, but (with a stock balancer) the timing tab should be at the 1:00 position. I don't know when this changed, but I have only seen the 12 o clock tabs on the early early SBCs that were made when dinosaurs walked the earth.

The best way would be to use a piston stop and see where the balancer mark is when the piston is at TDC. Since the new engine is out of the car or somewhat disassembled from what you have stated, this should be super easy to do. You might spend more time trying to google a solution when this is a guaranteed way to tell you where the TDC/Balancer Mark/Timing tab relationship is at. Do yourself a favor and get an adjustable timing pointer that bolts on. This way you can set it accurately. It does not take much misalignment to be a few degrees out.

 

So I was curious and was installing the new double roller timing chain setup. I got it dot to dot and the #1 piston is all the way up. I slid the HB on and looked and the stock timing pointer is at "0" but I'm curious if you can still see and set timing once the power steering setup is installed (Serpentine brackets are at powdercoat right now so I cannot mock it up)

 

You should be able to just aim your timing light down between the water pump and timing cover and see your damper & timing pointer...

 

The 87 and 88 tpi use the same cover tin and balancer.



And same up to 92. For tpi at least.

 

Ok so there is no reason to buy a new timing cover that is blank and buy one of these adjustable pointers?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-163700

 

Unless you're points racing for big bucks or just have money burning a hole in your pocket, nope, not really.