NOT CAM TIMING!

[Husky]

Okay, so it IS cam timing. Just needed to get you in here. I read teh writeup and followed it as good as I could. Here's what I did:
1: Removed Engine from vehicle
2: Removed side covers
3: Removed Timing belt, tensioner, ilders, tensioner actuator.
4: Got #1 Cylinder to TDC on the Exhaust stroke(or whatever, the Harmonic Balancer mark lined up)
5: Installed Cam Flat Hold Down Tools
6: Installed Timing belt and tensioners and actuator and all that
7: Removed Cam Flat Tools
8: Rotated engine ten times while increasing tension on belt
9: Checked Marks
10: Reinstalled Engine
11: Replaced Alternator with engine in just to prove I'm a hardass.

The marks all line up well, and there's lots of tension on the belt. Did I miss anything? Is the car going to explode when I try to start it?

[SappySE107]

So long as you timed 1 bank, rotated the crank 360 degrees, and then timed the other bank, you are fine. You don't want all the flats up at once on the motor, which is what it sounds like. Just want to make sure.

[bud36light]

you failed to mention whether you loosed the cam sprocket bolts..?

[Husky]

Did not loose the cam sprocket bolts. And yes, I timed it with both banks of flats up.



Fuck. I wish I would have seen this before I put the motor back in.

[joey b]

well, at least you know when your rear cams are lined up. If you have 94+ cams you can just get the flats up, loosen the cam bolts, and rotate the engine 360 degrees and retighten.

[Husky]

Okay. So what I'm going to do when I go home is take the plenum off, side covers stay on. I'm goign to roate the engine so the REAR cam flats are up. Then I'm going to loosen the bolts on the rear and rotate the engine 360 degrees. Then I'm going to torque the rear bolts back down to 96 FT-LBS. Is this correct, or do I need to retime the fronts? and, how do I torque down the bolts? Just use the cam flat tool to hold the camshafts in place and crank it tight? Or do I need another special tool?

[SappySE107]

What year is the motor, or at least the cam gear? You will have to remove the lock rings to get the cam to spin freely of the gear. You can use the cam flat tool for tightening the bolts to an extent but its best to use the kent moore cam gear holder. The belt will help hold tensioner which is why you can do it for tightening but for breaking them loose you should never use the cam flat tool.

[Husky]

I believe the cam gears are 1995, but they may be 1994. Should I use the tool that holds the sprockets instead of the flats to torque it down?

[SappySE107]

That would be a good idea. You won't need to pull the belt so your retiming shouldn't be too hard at least.

[joey b]

why not just rotate so that the front flats are up. At this point the rear flats, as you have described, are up as well. Loosen the front cams with the hold down tool in place. Rotate the engine 360 degrees and now the rear flats are down, but the fronts are up still due to the hold down tool. Retighten the front cams. You will need to remove the front cam cover and the timing belt inspection cover, but the plenum will not need to be removed.

[Husky]

I got home, pulled the cam covers, plenum, etc. I got everythign lined up after taking the belt off, and then went to reinstall the belt. Well, I had the top idler pulley bolt out, and I crossthreaded it goign in. So now my Timing Chain Cover is fucked up. I'm going to get a Tap and try to cut some useable threads into it as soon as I get home today. Oh, and I couldn't get the cam sprockets off with the tools I had or we wouldn't be having this discussion. Blah.

So, when I get everything fixed the way I need to, I'm going to turn the engine so the mark on the Harmonic Balancer lines up with the mark in the Timing Chain Cover. What set of flats needs to face up when the engine's like that?

[joey b]

shouldn't matter.