Building a 434 Small Block Chevy

What I'm doing is getting ready to attach the timing pointer to the timing cover. The first thing I have to do is find some longer screws because my Aluminum timing cover is thicker than a stamped steel one and the screws that came with this pointer are made for the later.

When the pointer is bolted on, it has to be RIGHT at TDC (top dead center) so that's what I'm doing here. After finding TDC, I can install the pointer and know that its lines up with the "zero" mark on the harmonic damper. Now this timing pointer is adjustable 4 degrees in either direction. This is one of the reasons I bought it by the way. You never know where things will line up so with the adjustable pointer, I don't have to worry about bending the original tab welded to the cover.

Well wouldn't you know it, the back of the pointer hits the radius on the cover. Notice the area between the two bolt holes. That means I'll have to make some spacers to put between the pointer and cover. I figure that the length of the spacers should be .150" long X .425" diameter. Why this diameter? It's because the cover has a counter-bore size of .435" so the .010" clearance will be enough so it won't interfere but still locate properly.

Here are the spacers which are made out of 6061-T6 Aluminum. It didn't take long to make them and they fit great.

Here it is all bolted up and it clears the radius on the cover with room to spare. I thought about putting a chamfer on the back of the pointer assembly but after seeing how large it would be after machining, there wouldn't be enough left on the pointer to locate it properly. This should work just fine but will look better when I anodize them later.

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