Cam Timing?

[HazMatt]

best way atleast imo is pull out the plug on 1 and stick the end of a coat hanger in there. the coat hanger will move witch erver way the piston is going when it stops going up and starts back down you should be lined up at the crank and you will be at tdc.
tdc= top dead center
and forget about the cover and pully use the dimple on the crank gear it will be at 5oclock when ur at tdc then your cams should be at 12oclockif not you need to pull of the belt an realign the cams also aslong as your crank is at 5oclock an the cams are at 12 dont worry about the marks on the belt if you have already rotated everything insync(or together)

Do you mean spark plug? If so, I dont know the firing order of the car so I dont know which one is plug 1.

I'm trying to figure out how to line up cylinder 1. These directions kind of confuse me.

"The coat hanger will move whichever way the positon is going. When it stops going up and starts back down you should be lined up at the crank and you'll be TDC"

What do you mean by stops going up and starts back down? I'm not sure how I'm going to properly tell when I'm on cylinder 1.

 

[HazMatt]

You know that Cyl 1 is at TDC when the punch mark on the crank sprocket is at the mark in the 5 o'clock position. The cams are timed properly for this when their marks are at the 12 o'clock position.

When you install the belt, just make absolutely sure that the 3 marks on the belt are lined up with the marks on their respective pulleys (as shown in the post above), and you have it correct.

So the only way the bottom crank gear can be at 5 o clock is if the car has automatically spun to cylinder 1? The bottom gear wont align to 5 o clock unless its on cylinder 1 correct? All other cylinders will produce a different position on the crank gear? If not, sorry. I'm just trying to figure out how to find cylinder 1 properly. As I said before, I'm not very comfortable with all of this cylinder talk so I want to make sure an amateur such as myself gets this 100% correct.

Thanks everyone for the help so far. This is a great community.

 

[HazMatt]

When the sprockets are positioned with the dots aligned for belt installation, the rear cam is positioned with one of its lobes straight down on a valve. It's quite unstable there, and will sometimes snap itself out of position from the valve spring force. Then you have to realign it. After installing the belt and releasing the tensioner (leaving the lock nut loose), let the crank rotate clockwise just enough so that rear cam is in a more stable position. That is what you see in the last photo. All alignment is still correct because the toothed belt moves everything in synchronization.

The next steps are to finish up the tension adjustment procedure, and verify index mark alignment is correct, as instructed in the FSM:

1. Install lower timing belt cover
2. Install crankshaft damper (pulley)
3. Rotate crankshaft two revolutions in the clockwise direction until the yellow mark on damper aligns with 0 degree mark on lower timing belt cover.
4. Remove plastic door in the lower timing belt cover. Tighten belt tensioner lock nut to 33-51 N-m
   (25-37 lb-ft) and install plastic door.
5. Rotate crankshaft 60 degrees more in the clockwise direction until the white mark on the damper
   aligns with 0 degree index mark on lower timing belt cover
6. Ensure index marks on camshaft pulleys align with marks on rear metal timing belt cover.

The reason for this is the belt has the most slack at 60 degrees BTDC, and that's the point where you want to secure the tensioner lock nut.

I know this is the proper way to do it, but other than properly timing my car and torquing the bolt, the rest of this wont effect my car correct? I dont have yellow and white index lines on my damper, theyve been worn away.

note: this is my 3rd post this morning so please read the other two above it if youre just viewing the forum today and tryin to help me out

 

[lowc]

Do you mean spark plug? If so, I dont know the firing order of the car so I dont know which one is plug 1.

I'm trying to figure out how to line up cylinder 1. These directions kind of confuse me.

"The coat hanger will move whichever way the positon is going. When it stops going up and starts back down you should be lined up at the crank and you'll be TDC"

What do you mean by stops going up and starts back down? I'm not sure how I'm going to properly tell when I'm on cylinder 1.

cyl 1 is back head left corner lookin from front of car

pull the spark plug out and put the end of the coat hanger all the way in till it stops
when you use the coat hanger it sits on the top of the piston witch moves up and down in the block so when the coat hanger stops going up ur at the highest point of the piston stroke =tdc

 

[HazMatt]

Ok thank you. So turning the crank till its at 5 o clock does not automatically designate TDC?

Thanks for the info ima go do it now.

p.s. thanks again for that bolt, as you see im working on putting it to use

ALMOST DONE THO

 

[HazMatt]

Man I just looked and that C1 spark plug is in one **** of a tangled mess of an area. Do I have to take off my entire intake manifold to get to it or what?


edit: I just pulled my spark plug tubes and they are covered with oil. Good or bad? How to fix? Also this intake manifold seems like it has a lot of moving parts or things that are calibrated precisely. If I have to take this off whats the least amount I have to remove and how can I safely do it?

edit2: i just read the SHOPP top 60k guide if the intake removal is the same I saw how to do it.

 

[HazMatt]

I just pulled the intake. As soon as I pulled the 1st cylinder spark plug, the tube came out dripping black oil. Thick as ****, it looks like I just dipped the tube into oil and pulled it out.

Is this normal? Is it because my car is slanted on ramps? Whats the deal

 

[lowc]

no you need to get some ultra black permitext and put it around the seals in the valve cover then the oil leak will go away and you should do both valve covers while you have the intake off

 

[HazMatt]

What kind of damage am I looking at if I leave it for a few weeks? Im kind of out of funds to fix my car at the moment and doing a whole nother project when im so close to getting my car running would be insane.

i have the crank at 5 o clock, the hanger stuck out much further than when I stuck it in, and the cams are at 12 o clock. Should I take off the timing belt and put it back on or is my timing proper and I can leave it?

p.s. i already put the intake all back together so I'd have to take it off again either way.

 

[jayro]

If your cam gear marks are at 12 oclock when you r a at TDC on the #1 cylinder then your timing is correct. The crank sprocket is at 5 oclock (lined up with the mark on the oil pump housing) when the #1 cylinder is at TDC.
As far as the oil in the plug wells...your car is gonna run like crap, but you could probably drive it for a week or two (sparingly) with causing any serious damage. You will need new plugs and plug wires (most likely) to install when you replace your valve cover gaskets. Shonutperformance.com has an excellent video that can walk you through all this if you are still unclear. Also check out shopheonixprodject.com (not sure on the spelling). They have a step by step with picks.

Jeremy

 

[HazMatt]

Yup. My timing is perfect and I took off the belt and rebelted it just to make sure I wasnt doing something I shouldnt be. In theory, that step shouldnt matter, but I did it to be safe.

I'm assuming the oil in the plugs has been there for a while and just always burned off. I never noticed it until today after it sat for so long. Once I buttoned the car back up and had it running, tons of white smoke came out of the exhaust and from the back of the engine. I assumed this was the oil burning off of the plug.

I will do the valve covers when I have money to buy the proper gaskets for it, as well as find out how to remove one of the stripped bolts. The little metal circles that come out on the valve cover is stripped. Well, at least one of them. I'm not sure about the rest. Once I have money to take car of my valve covers I'll replace the plugs etc. Till then its time to find a job!

Thanks again to everyone who has helped me with this 60k. Super special thanks to Lowc for the crankbolt that is now in my car and keeping my vehicle running. YOURE THE MAN, LOWC!

 

[lowc]

thanks man glad to help
as far as your valve cover bolt you can punch in a bigger allen or torx bit to get it out