I have a 63 D100 Sweptline short box with a 318 poly/4spd. It doesn't have a damper on the crank, just a single groove pulley. There are timing marks cast in to front cover like a typical small block but, I see no other evidence of a way to check ignition timing. What am I missing here Thanks

have a look at bell housing or flywheel.

how is that even bolted on without a damper?

does it have a hub on end of the crank the pulley bolts too?

I have used a poly 318 damper/forged crank/t-cover on a LA engine before but it looked like a normal 318 damper.

very interesting.

I have a 61 and 64 sweptline but the poly's were both changed out for an LA 318. I have had quite a few poly's before and they all had dampners! Looks like that has been running no dampner for quite sometime!

Yeah it's kinda got me stumped. I haven't looked at how pulley bolts to crank or checked flywheel area. I'll have to look at that tonight. It was pinging so I just backed timing down a bit by ear. Been like that a while now and runs great but, would just eventually like to know what the deal is. Thanks...

Looks to me like the damper broke off! I can see the rubber insert still present. I'm betting you will find the pulley bolted to the hub like all the modern stuff is, and there is probably still the bolt present that holds the damper onto the crank.

Just for kicks, I opened my 54 Dodge truck factory service manual. For the 241 V8, under removal & installation of chain case oil seal,

on step 3, it tells you to remove the radiator and remove the crankshaft pulley retaining bolt and flat washer.
Step 4, Install tool # C-3033, pull the pulley off the end of the crankshaft and remove the key.
Under installation,
Step 5, Place the crankshaft pulley and damper hub key in the slot and install the pulley assembly and flat washer. Attach tool # c-3033 and press assembly on the crankshaft. Remove tool and install the hub retaining bolt. Tighten to 125 foot-pounds torque.

Under Installation of Vibration Damper, Figure 81 shows a picture of a dust ring, the hub, the damper, the pulley, lock washers & bolts, and a damper retaining washer & bolt. An interesting note here, the Vibration Damper install is under engine rebuild. Here it tells you to torque the retaining bolt to 135 foot-pounds where with the seal replacement it tells you to torque to 125 foot-pounds!

Then basic engine timing.
step 1, Rotate the crankshaft until number 1 cylinder is at top dead center (or firing position). When in this position, the pointer on the chain case cover should be over "DC" on the vibration damper.

This reaffirms my thoughts that your damper is broken! Gene

I have a good LA318 damper you can have if you need one.

Thank you ALL for the responses and info. I'll check it out a little further when I get a chance. Thanks for the offer Scratchn I think I have one in storage.

That's stock stuff....on some of those Poly 318 motors....can't honestly say how the timed them though....I've kept one those pulleys around just for conversation purposes.

Timing mark is on the pulley.

Thanks, John. Now I don't have to go home and dig through my pile of crap for mine.

Same as early smallblock chevies, the short stroke forged crank 318 didn't need a damper to make its design life, which must have been about 100K miles. A simple hub and pulley arrangement was all that was needed. Just another way to save a few $.

R.

The pic in the OP makes me thing the pulley has a built-in rubber damper. Some of the later poly 318's had rubber-dampened pulleys even when mounted on a traditional harmonic balancer.

So is that small hole on the pulley a timing mark?

I believe the hole shows you where the marks are. It may be TDC. I know I had to time the truck to get it to pass emissions the first time.

My pulley was just pulley on hub. No rubber.

R.