Timing concerns (camshaft sprocket/crankshaft misaligned)
#1
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Timing concerns (camshaft sprocket/crankshaft misaligned)
Hey all--
Hoping you can help shed some light on the situation I'm currently in...
So I was replacing the camshaft assembly gasket as a result of an oil spewing out right above the fourth header. In the process I did all the right things (or so i thought?) for setting the engine to TDC, removing the TB via spring tensioning roller (which is weird since i have a 1985.5 944 and i thought it didnt have this, possibly a new engine??) and I marked the TDC on the camshaft sprocket and belt to match the distributor housing mark, etc etc. I put everything back together today and the belt went on perfectly to match the sprocket marks and the sprocket TDC mark matched up with the distributor housing TDC mark as well as the TDC mark by the flywheel....
Then something weird happened. When I was tightening the "cheesehead" bolt on the cam sprocket, the cam sprocket turned with it...so I had a friend hold the crankshaft in position as I tightened it but the sprocket still moved out of TDC...
Now, when I put the engine in TDC (via flywheel marks), the sprocket is not aligned with the distributor TDC marks. It is about 19 teeth away.
My question is, can I remove the timing belt and turn the cam sprocket by hand while its on, or do I have to remove the camshaft assembly again, set the engine to TDC again then set the camshaft sprocket to TDC then put the camshaft assembly back and hope that the belt is in the right position?
Any help or insight would be appreciated...
Hoping you can help shed some light on the situation I'm currently in...
So I was replacing the camshaft assembly gasket as a result of an oil spewing out right above the fourth header. In the process I did all the right things (or so i thought?) for setting the engine to TDC, removing the TB via spring tensioning roller (which is weird since i have a 1985.5 944 and i thought it didnt have this, possibly a new engine??) and I marked the TDC on the camshaft sprocket and belt to match the distributor housing mark, etc etc. I put everything back together today and the belt went on perfectly to match the sprocket marks and the sprocket TDC mark matched up with the distributor housing TDC mark as well as the TDC mark by the flywheel....
Then something weird happened. When I was tightening the "cheesehead" bolt on the cam sprocket, the cam sprocket turned with it...so I had a friend hold the crankshaft in position as I tightened it but the sprocket still moved out of TDC...
Now, when I put the engine in TDC (via flywheel marks), the sprocket is not aligned with the distributor TDC marks. It is about 19 teeth away.
My question is, can I remove the timing belt and turn the cam sprocket by hand while its on, or do I have to remove the camshaft assembly again, set the engine to TDC again then set the camshaft sprocket to TDC then put the camshaft assembly back and hope that the belt is in the right position?
Any help or insight would be appreciated...
#2
Rennlist Member
You can turn the camshaft by hand, it's not a problem as long as the engine 90 degrees off TDC or BDC. Even if the engine is at TDC or BDC, unless you do something silly you still shouldn't have problems as long as you don't try to force it past the point where valve meets piston.
#3
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Fara,
Thanks for your response. How can I make sure its 90 degrees off? Right now the camshaft sprocket is 19 clicks away from the left and 21 clicks away from the right so based on that, I dont think it is 90 degrees off...?
Thanks for your response. How can I make sure its 90 degrees off? Right now the camshaft sprocket is 19 clicks away from the left and 21 clicks away from the right so based on that, I dont think it is 90 degrees off...?
#4
Rennlist Member
When I say 90 degrees off, it doesn't need to be particularly accurate. It's simply the act of moving the cylinders away from the head.
If you want to estimate it, simply take a dowel through number 1 spark plug hole and rotate the engine till it's around halfway between the top and bottom.
To be accurate, you have to find TDC, then rotate the crank by 90 degrees using a ratchet.
If you want to estimate it, simply take a dowel through number 1 spark plug hole and rotate the engine till it's around halfway between the top and bottom.
To be accurate, you have to find TDC, then rotate the crank by 90 degrees using a ratchet.
#5
If I understand you correctly, you only turned the crank 1 revolution and now the cam is off 19 teeth?The crank/cam ratio is 2:1 not 1:1. Rotate the crank another 360° (carefully with the plugs out so you can feel if a valve does hit a piston) and you should be back to where you started. You may be 1 tooth off at that point.
#7
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#8
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Thanks guys, what I ended up doing was just taking the camshaft housing off and re-aligning. I checked with three rotations for TDC on sprocket and crank and it came out perfect! But now I have more troubles...
The car wont start! It's cranking, clicking etc but it just wont turn over. I have what appears to be about 1/4 tank of fuel and the car has only been sitting for about 1 month. Also, when I keep trying to crank it, the car pops a shot (burst of uncombusted fuel that is burned from the exhaust)
Any ideas?
The car wont start! It's cranking, clicking etc but it just wont turn over. I have what appears to be about 1/4 tank of fuel and the car has only been sitting for about 1 month. Also, when I keep trying to crank it, the car pops a shot (burst of uncombusted fuel that is burned from the exhaust)
Any ideas?
#10
Thanks guys, what I ended up doing was just taking the camshaft housing off and re-aligning. I checked with three rotations for TDC on sprocket and crank and it came out perfect! But now I have more troubles...
The car wont start! It's cranking, clicking etc but it just wont turn over. I have what appears to be about 1/4 tank of fuel and the car has only been sitting for about 1 month. Also, when I keep trying to crank it, the car pops a shot (burst of uncombusted fuel that is burned from the exhaust)
Any ideas?
The car wont start! It's cranking, clicking etc but it just wont turn over. I have what appears to be about 1/4 tank of fuel and the car has only been sitting for about 1 month. Also, when I keep trying to crank it, the car pops a shot (burst of uncombusted fuel that is burned from the exhaust)
Any ideas?
#12
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Gary,
If i hand cranked the engine twice and both times the TDC marks lined up, could the timing still be off?
And the battery is actually not charged enough, I had it hooked up to my other car's battery to charge it while this was happening...could that be the cause? At one point I almost heard the engine try to turn but it didnt.. All i hear is click click click then the fuel pops out the exhaust.
-Lina
If i hand cranked the engine twice and both times the TDC marks lined up, could the timing still be off?
And the battery is actually not charged enough, I had it hooked up to my other car's battery to charge it while this was happening...could that be the cause? At one point I almost heard the engine try to turn but it didnt.. All i hear is click click click then the fuel pops out the exhaust.
-Lina
#13
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#15
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But I think I might have found the root of the problem...a weird shaped piece by the firewall/battery area actually fell out while I was tightening the camshaft housing. I though I put it back together correctly but now I found a mess of nonconnected hoses back there. The problem is that the heater core was removed from my car so I'm not sure which hoses go where anymore.
Here are the pictures...
What is this piece anyway? And where should it be connected to??
Last edited by lina944; 03-20-2013 at 12:41 AM.