I couldn't get my timing marks to line up, either. I couldn't turn the distributor far enough to bring them together, never mind that caused the timing to go way off... I discovered the problem when replacing my front main seal...
Inside the timing chair cover I found a chunk of metal...sort of shaped like a cresent moon, but not concave... it is a "key" that is supposed to lock the balancer to the crankshaft. There is a slot in the end of the shaft and a corresponding slot in the balancer, I think it is called a "keyway", and the key slips in there and puts the balancer and crank in proper relation to each other.
After I put it back together, it was like a miracle! My timing mark hit perfectly on the scale! (I was pretty proud that I had felt out the right timing without the mark!)
good luck...Jerry Mann
