crankshaft key..
crankshaft key.. 
ok newbie here and im about to finish puting the front part of the motor together and i got a dumb *** question that i couldnt find any answer to in the search...The crankshaft has a slot on it..from the service gm site its there for the crankshaft key am i right...ok here the dumb question..is this for the balancer or the timing sprocket for the crank.... 
you can get the key from GM, it locates the timing gear on the crank. Bolt keeps crank damper from falling off, be sure to use a new bolt with patch lock or 271 loktite. Where is your old key?
I dont have the old key cause i bought the ls6block brand new bare and im building it up to a 383..i got a long way to go though...im in no rush to get it built and budget is limited from part to part..right now i got the bottom end installed along with the T-rex ...i have the oil pump, double roller timing chain, and most of the other components for the front of the engine..heads are at tea and intake is on order.i also have the rockers and pushrods..so really im not too far away from completing....from there bank account is dry...the only thing im worried about is timing the camshaft...and thats where the crankshaft key came into question...Sorry for the length of the post but i thank all for the info...and ill keep updating on the progress of the 383...thanks again
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