I'm replacing the harmonic balancer pulley on my 86 245 (B230/AW70) Why isn't the timing mark on the crankshaft pulley offset 180 degrees from the woodruff key slot at the bottom? If I line up the slot and key at the bottom, the timing marks are offset from vertical ~20 degrees clockwise.
This condition is the same on the old pulley and the new one.
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`76 242(junk), `83 245DL, 86 245DL, 87 245DL.

the timing marks are offset from vertical ~20 degrees clockwise.

The 0° mark on the pulley will be vertical when the crank is at 0°. If it was back 20° CCW it would be obscured by the waterpump pulley.

Look at the 0° reference mark on the timing belt cover. It's straight up,
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Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

By clockwise, I meant towards the driver's side-clockwise looking at the front of the engine.
Setting TDC on the crank gear, installing the cover, lining up the key slot on the harmonic balancer and bolting it back on, the timing marks on the balancer are now ~10-20 degrees from TDC.
Why?
I set the timing to the marks with a light and the car seems to run fine.
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`76 242(junk), `83 245DL, 86 245DL, 87 245DL.

"...the timing marks on the balancer are now ~10-20 degrees from TDC.

I understood your directional reference OK, but don't think there is anything wrong here. Your old balancer marks are the same, right?

My view is that the pulley marks are just a reference to be lined up or matched to some fixed point that represents 0° TDC. It could be anywhere, say at 3 o'clock, as long as the 0° pulley mark is positioned to match it.

On The B230, that fixed reference point is a raised (and unmarked) vertical line on the belt cover. When the crank is at 0°, the 0° pulley mark lines up with this 0° reference mark—and is some 20° to the right of an imaginary centerline between the crank and camshafts.

If the 0° reference was ON the centerline (where you seem to think it should be) it would not be easily seen, under the pump pulley.

If you tip the picture to the left, so the cam mark is about straight up like it is in the car, the crank Sprocket mark is then about 20° to the left of vertical—but the 0° Pulley mark is straight up, so it matches the 0° reference mark in the cover.
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Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

(I am trying to post a picture, but not having any luck)
I hear you saying the TDC mark on the cover doesn't necessarily line up true TDC, even though it is plumb. That it is offset to the right, ergo the timing marks on the pulley are offset.
By George, I think I've got it...
Pardon my thickheadedness(?).
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`76 242(junk), `83 245DL, 86 245DL, 87 245DL.

I think we agree now. It's an easy thing misunderstand at first, but not easy to explain. I know how it is, once you get stuck on something like that.
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Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

Turn the engine over by hand with a racket and socket on the crank shaft pulley bolt until the cam shaft mark lines up with the mark on the back plate. Now see if the crank shaft pulley is at TDC. On an 83 with B23F it would line up if the timing belt is installed correctly. I have heard of some car manufacturers building in some advance or retard by offsetting the crank pulley keyway but I don't think that is the case with the B230. jp

If I understand you correctly then, The Balancer 'TDC' mark IS in a different location then the TDC marking of the Crank Gear.
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'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me

Better put.
And yes.
This was the first time I did a timing belt on a B230. I pulled the balancer; the TDC marks on the balancer didn't match TDC on the crank. I assumed the balancer was failing, as described on the board, and ordered another. The marks on the new one were in the same place...
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`76 242(junk), `83 245DL, 86 245DL, 87 245DL.

That's OK. The balancer is fine, the Marks are offest betwen the two. After rereading my last post I realized my meaning was unclear. I was trying to say that it is OK and that the Crank mark is correct by being different then the Balancer mark but when I went back and read it , it sounded like I was just verifying what you were asking instead of answering the question.
Sorry
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'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me