Slant 6 engine ignition timing stays retarded.

dodgemahal said
That's certainly food for thought, albeit a somewhat unpalatable set of options.

I don't see a damper(at least not my concept of a damper) on my slant. No place to put a timing tape. I have a group of pulleys. Is that the damper?

Damper is the also called the harmonic balancer. That's the circular weight with the TDC mark on it.