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Taking the 327 apart to swap the 288's front plate,cover, balancer, etc so lined it up to TDC according to the timing indicator before disassembly and removed the cover. As you can see, the timing marks aren't pointing at each other. I'm going to download and dig in the archives, but i'm assuming that either the timing is off or the mark/indicator is wrong? Any input on this subject while i dig around? Have to go get a big enough socket to take that cam gear off to get to the plate, so i won't be tearing into it until tomorrow.

Thanks!

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I can't see the marks unless that is what is scratched on-so can't see for sure how much they are apart but since it was running wasn't it, it has to be reasonably close. If you are sure #1 is at top of compression stroke, the indicator or the damper may be incorrect. Might try rotating the crank one more time with your finger over the spark plug hole and make sure. Are those dampers the type that is just an outer shell vulcanized to the inner hub?

Don't forget the marks only align once every two turns of the crankshaft.

Pretty hard to see both marks, you might want to clean it up a bit and take another photo. And that is one really sloppy chain!

The scratch marks are in line with the marks. The other motors chain (the 288 that was running in the car) looks as loose on the slack side. I could get a new chain if need be, but i figured if they were both that way, must be normal. I'll look into that.

I do remember that they align every other turn.

This motor is the 327 from dan yocum's estate. I was told it was fresh, but i haven't witnessed it running first hand.

That chain is worn well beyond it's good service limits. It would badly fail either of the old "rule of thumb" tests for serviceable used chains.

I'll second Owens claim. That chain definately needs to be replaced. Look at the sprockets too to see if they are badly worn or not.

I don't quite make sense of the "scratch" marks, but I believe I've circled the timing chain index marks. One is on a tooth, the other on a space between two teeth.

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Ahh! I didn't even catch that one! I was looking at the arrow circled in red and the other mark that you saw.

When i brought the engine around so #1 was tdc, i made sure in the distributor cap that it was in fact right near #1, so i didn't consider that the marks could be that far out.

Also, this balancer is covered in paint, but it seems to be a solid balancer with nothing that could move or slip to change the timing marks.

Going to call Kanter and get a timing set on the way...

Kanter shows a chain for 48-50 and a chain for 51-54 and then a camshaft sprocket for 51-54 and a timing chain and gear set for 48-54! Confusing options! Front end (timing cover, etc) coming off of the 50, but motor cam etc is a 53 (i believe, or 51, have to look again)

I thought they were all the same and if they are, why the differences in parts listings? Guess i'll find out when i order.

Edit: Just ordered a timing set. Kanter says that there are two different sets they're just listed as a 48-54, but two different part numbers (48-50 and 51-54), and he thinks the 51-54 set is narrower if he recalls properly. I ordered the 51-54 set for the new motor, i'll just have to be vigilant that the old plate behind the cam from the 50 doesn't interfere somehow with the new timing set (only reason i could think of a switch would be the different plate up front that no longer attached to a motor mount when they went to side mounts.)

If anyone has info that i should be using the earlier set instead, please chime in.

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Have you checked the parts book? Looks like all 51-54 take the same crank sprocket, all 51-54 EXCEPT 5401, 5402, 5406, 5411, 5413, 5426 and 5431 take the same cam gear. All 51-54 take the same chain. 48-50 are different.

'48-'50 are in fact wider, and they use a wider timing cover as well. You can't use a '48-'50 timing set in a '51-'54 engine unless you're swapping everything, including the damper. You can of course use the '51-'54 timing set in the older engines, if you had to, but I wouldn't. The parts will physically bolt on.

I think it all has to do with the switch from the front engine mount and different water pump style from '48-'50 and '51-'54.