V12 crankshaft damper timing mark

[Doddsy333]

I rebuilt my distributor and when reinstalling noticed that the timing mark on the crankshaft pulley appears to be about 30 degrees after tdc. I have removed the damper (quite a Job!) thinking it must be a corroded woodruff key but all is OK. At tdc on 1A the key way on the crankshaft and the key way on the split cone all line up with centerline of the cylinder bank. However the clearly marked timing mark on the damper is much further ahead of 0 on the timing scale. I estimate 30 degrees which cannot be right.

The only thing that I can think is that this is not the correct damper. Is this possible? In the workshop manual there should be two marks A and B. I only have one mark?

I plan to make a new mark on this damper at tdc and 0 degrees and then set up the ignition timing from there. Just want to check first that I am not doing something wrong. Any advise will be very welcome.

[MarekH]

It sounds as though you have put the distributor back in 30 degrees askew. (It rotates a bit as you put it in because it isn't a simple straight cut gear.)

The only other possibility is that the crank damper rubber has perished (but the damper has wedged itself back together about 30 degrees further around "as you describe"), because the 1a cylinder has to be at tdc when the damper mark is exactly at 6 o'clock, by virtue of the fact that the Woodruff keys can only fit one way. (This also assumes that the cams have not been moved.)

kind regards
Marek

[Doddsy333]

Marek, thank you for this. I have just realized my mistake. Cylinder 1A is on the RH bank (looking from drivers seat). I was looking at 1B. Now to put it all back together. Still learning!