Jay's 44

Hey Guys, it looks like my cars valve timing is off, so i'm taking off the cam cover and going to see if we can correct the cams to the correct timing, now what exactly should i see with the cam cover off and the engine at TDC at the first cylinder?
should the cams have marks that would be pointing up?
and how would i go about making slack in the chain?(something to do with the chain tensioner..right?)
anyways, it's not to big a deal as my mechanic friends will be dropping by to help me after there day is done, but i would like to have a clearer idea as to what to do! i just might surprise them..or not!
thanks! <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Danno

How do you know that the cam timing is off?

Jay's 44

when i bought the car the idle was searching, after checking to see if there where vacumn leaks, which there was when the car was running(10 psi instead of 17 or so, right?) we checked the integrity of all the vacum lines when the car was off, they where fine, no leaks there, we started it up again and checked the intake manifold gasket to see if it was leaking, it was not, each individual injector to see if one of them where leaking, throttle body into intake man.,nope, checked speed sensor, cam position sensor, timing belt was tightened, still searching idle between just above 800rpm to just below 1000rpm, no real power in car throughout rpm range, in the S's it has a kick at 3500rpm or so, it still kicks but not as hard or as long as it should..
only thing left to do is to check the valve timing and then if thats not the problem..??your guess would be as good as mine!

btw, my mechanic friends say that it is not unheard of for this type of engine to skip a tooth on the exhuast cam so the exhuast valve is still open when the intake valve is open as well and would account for the vacumn loss,power loss and searching idle..whew <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

ERAU-944

are our engines designed with some bit of overlap in the timing? i know overlap is good, perhaps you are right and your car is overlapping too much, causing sucky performance, but not engine inop.

PorscheG96

You're not going to get any change in valve overlap with a SOHC.

ERAU-944

i understand that, but for the S application, say his timing did slip like that, he could possibly have more overlap now, without bending valves, causing sucky performance. how though??? that seems like for it to only skip ONE tooth someone MUST have put it together wrong.

PorscheG96

Oh, I saw 10psi written in his reply and thought it was a 951. Now I see the S in his sig.

Jay's 44

supposedly the head was redone on the car, so it might have been put together wrong, or it could have been roll started(that is what my mech. also suggested) so anyways thanks for the replys, but what would i see on the cams in terms of markings?? anything?

ERAU-944

ok, on SOHC models, there is a small rubber plug on the cam gear cover in front right of our engines... pull it off at TDC and a mark should line up with another if our ONE cam cog is aligned properly... i'm not sure on the DOHC models, but this is how the 8V cars are... any 16V dudes out there know what is up?

PorscheG96

[quote]Originally posted by ERAU944:
<strong>ok, on SOHC models, there is a small rubber plug on the cam gear cover in front right of our engines... pull it off at TDC and a mark should line up with another if our ONE cam cog is aligned properly... i'm not sure on the DOHC models, but this is how the 8V cars are... any 16V dudes out there know what is up?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Same thing, that's the exhaust cam on the 16v cars. But I don't know how to align the intake cam.

Jay's 44

That's what i need!!!!! the intake cam!!! ahhhh!

ERAU-944

so lets get this straight, you need to knwo how to align the intake cam, or you need a new intake cam altogether...

Jay's 44

align the intake cam,,,,i need to know how to time it!

Crackhead944S

I'm pretty sure that there are marks on each cam sprocket. I would have to dig the manual out(its at home) to be sure, whether its at TDC when the marks are both at twelve o'clock.

Mark
'88 944S

ERAU-944

unfortunately, thats not in my 8V haynes... sounds like whoever put the cam housing back together didnt do it right... you say the car has been acting like this the whole time you've owned it? so it hasnt skipped time it was just put together wrong.


someone please give the man a hand here!!! i only have 8V worth of valve-bending experience <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />