Once you get that damper back from the rebuilder, I will suggest that you scribe or cut a mark across the pulley groove parallel with the ‘TDC’ mark on the damper ring so that you can always verify that the damper ring has not slipped.  This is just good insurance for checking that the damper ring is staying in place as time goes on.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

The damper is all packaged up and on its way to The Damper Dudes!  
Thank you everyone for the tips and comments.
I will have more questions soon as I have a few more things I am fixing before the summer season.

One is between 9 & 10; the other is closer to 12. I don't see how turning them over/looking at them from another angle will put the two marks in the same location. 

Yes - if you are looking at the damper and pointer from the front  as Ted said.





54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

This is what I found. The blue dot is the TDC mark. It sure doesn’t match the other picture.

It is bad.
I'm not sure what the diameter is but 3 inches should be about 50 to 55 degrees off if my guess is in the ballpark.


Lawrenceville, GA

I followed the method Ted suggested. I used a straightedge across the valves, ensuring that that are level, and the timing pointer is 3 inches from the TDC mark on the damper to the left, or ATDC.
Is is safe to say that the damper is bad?

Being it is Friday, and this issue is bugging me to no end, I called my boss a jackass and he told me to stay home and work on this car! (I am self employed) 
Thanks for the tips. I will do the methods suggested and find out where the problem is.
I will report my findings.

For the timing to be 25° retarded, I am taking it that you are seeing the ignition timing being indicated on the left side of TDC when looking from the front.  That would be indicative of ATDC degrees and indeed retarded or late.  If that’s the case, then the damper has very likely slipped.  In a normal scenario, the ignition timing will be on the right side of the TDC on the damper indicating degrees of advance or BTDC.

A quick and dirty check for this that does not involve removing a spark plug is to look at the valve overlap on either the #1 or #6 cylinders.  This check does involve removing a valve cover and then rotate the engine so that the #1 or #6 valves are at their ‘level’ overlap position or where both valves are slightly open.  It doesn’t matter which of these two cylinders you use as both share the same TDC on the damper.  With the exhaust valve closing and the intake valve opening, find that point where both valves are level to each other.  A small straight edge across both retainers will help to determine this.  With both the intake and exhaust valves level with each other, the TDC on the damper is expected to be within 0-5° of TDC in the advanced position.  Anything different from this has something out of sync with the damper being at the top of the list.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)