With the engine in the car and the front wheels on ramps --
get a dial indicator gage on a magnetic base stand and put the stand on the angled steel protrusion in the center of the front crossmember. Adjust the dial indicator to sit against the balancer. Take a large screwdriver or small prybar and using the centerlink as a pivot point pry the balancer, relatively gently, front and back. Don't pry too hard, as you could bend the balancer! It will move the crank back and forth a small amount. The range is 0.003" to 0.011".
With the engine on an engine stand should be I.O.C.O. (intuitively obvious to the casual observer) on how to measure the thrust end play.
HTH
