[Steeveedee]

Turning the rotor counterclockwise and letting it return to the starting point means you have mechanical advance and that it is working. The weights are under the breaker plate in the sixes.

I see that there is an elastomeric ring on the balancer. Now, can you pull #1 plug and rotate the engine backwards and forwards and locate the piston at TDC? If TDC on #1 cylinder and the timing marks align, your balancer is good. If the timing appears to be advanced, the outer ring has slipped. Setting the timing by the timing mark would then be useless, as it would result in retarded timing and cause your truck to be weak. It could also make it run hotter than it should. This is just another check to eliminate a suspect from the lineup.