98' Vortec Block, Timing Cover and Balancer Spacing Questions.

[RanchWelder]

My new engine is a 98' Vortec Block.

Noticed the Harmonic Balancer is identical the one I used previously on my 1994 Casting SBC 355HO.

Read the reluctor wheel causes the Balancer to move out 1/8" from the crank timing gear. Other than that they are the same.

My previous engine had the standard steel timing cover. No reluctor.

Is this the case?
Which cover did you use in this situation and why?

Delete the reluctor for good, or fight the spacing and try to keep it for later?

What do you guys know?

 

[mxer147]

Unaware of that issue; I just ran what it came with stock, minus the reluctant wheel, seems to be fine running an edelbrock manifold, carb, and hei distributor. I don’t drive it much so I can’t comment on reliability.

 

[squaredeal91]

it's been a few years and I'm a little rusty but I put in a cloyes true roller 4°advance timing chain in our 99 350/5.7 vortec and it needs to be the correct gear set for that. Timing cover is plastic and one time use because of the seal. I got my first set by mistake and got one for a ZZ4 and is different yet again.
I'd say set it up like it's supposed to be weather your going carb or not and it should work. Hope some of this was helpful.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

it's been a few years and I'm a little rusty but I put in a cloyes true roller 4°advance timing chain in our 99 350/5.7 vortec and it needs to be the correct gear set for that. Timing cover is plastic and one time use because of the seal. I got my first set by mistake and got one for a ZZ4 and is different yet again.
I'd say set it up like it's supposed to be weather your going carb or not and it should work. Hope some of this was helpful.

The Vortecs use a plastic timing cover, because of the way it's molded. There is also a provision for the crankshaft position sensor, without which a Vortec engine set up with the fuel injection, computers, etc. will not run.
These timing covers are available in the aftermarket, in both aluminum and plastic versions. The plastic is prone to warping and causing leaks; this is why they are "one time use". I think what @squaredeal91 is saying is correct, about using the correct timing set, just don't reinstall the reluctor wheel. I have also read that the double roller timing set will not fit on a Vortec because it won't fit under the TC and have room for the reluctor wheel.
Last two timing jobs I did were on a 350 TBI in the '90 Burb in 2004 and the Vortec 350 in our other '99 Burb...in 2007. So apologies for my knowledge being a little bit rusty....

 

[RanchWelder]

I'm holding the Cloyes 9-3645X9.
It has up to 8degrees at the crank, so max of 4 at the cam.
When I installed it, the bottom gear floated in without bottoming out against the crank.

I have 1.0255" of insert on the balancer.
So it only goes in so far, then bottoms out on the gasket, no matter what cover is used.

The plastic cover seal is approximately:

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The steel cover is:

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The reluctor is:

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My concern is the belts and 6-rib alternator system I'm using are the 94' set. All my P/S, alt and ling water pump spec out to the old engine block.

I guess I'm going to have to shim as I go from what I found out so far.

I'd like to use the Holly aluminum Vortec style cover instead of the cheap-o plastic stuff.

It would be faster and cheaper to re use my old cover, however the block is not drilled for the bolts at 10-2 so it gets stoopid drilling exactly to depth into cast iron or gluing the cover on with something made by 3M, (which I have on the shelf). That stuff won't leak.

My heart was set on keeping the reluctor for future use.

My long water pump makes up so much of the mounting system, re-thinking to go electric pump gave me a head ache earlier.

Not sure if I swap to a short pump if it would help me or hurt me.
The fan is electric so that does not matter any more. Pulley spacing is my primary concern.

I thought the crankshaft bolt to the harmonic bottoms out on the crank snout?

What I'm looking at now, it will not.
Again, the balancer for both engines is identical. Timing cover thickness is not.

I'll post more pics tomorrow early.


Here's where I'm at:

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Thanks for tuning in and your advice.

 

[RanchWelder]

There is a space behind the crank timing gear. Used a straight edge to align the gear teeth. Went in easy after grinding the top oil port to clear the chain.

I thought I bottomed out the balancer against the internals with the crankshaft snout bolt before.

The balancer is not deep enough to git the gear, even if I use the reluctor and definitely not when I use the plastic cover. The balancer cannot go deeper than the seal on the cover allows, right?

The double roller I used previously was for a flat tappet cam, so the base circle of bolts on the cam gear does not match the roller cam.

It's a Summit 8800 roller.

This is my first roller build.

"Don't know what I don't know."

 

[stroker2]

You need a .093 spacer to replace the reluctor wheel, to use the original damper for proper belt alignment . The bottom crank gear should be bottom out on the crankshaft, no space behind it .https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ati-916320?srsltid=AfmBOoodNeTwgs0zhbP6MsngYZgubDqDlmZuTROPBmiFWJk_nlH2zMXnJjA