IntegraGSR2000

ok, I set the crank at TDC. I lined up the cam gears perfectly with the timing mark on the plastic shroud and checked them with a ruler. I installed the timing belt. I turned the engine one complete cyle back (counter clockwise with the crank pulley bolt) to TDC and the god dam cam gears don't line up anymore...they're like 1/4" off. What the hell? The car only has 5K mikes on it.

Would turning the engine with the cam gear bolt instead of the crank pulley bolt be the cause of this? What else could cause this? Do I have to change my timing belt?


[Modified by IntegraGSR2000, 4:35 PM 2/21/2002]

Fooser

I would think you would have align the cam accoring to the TDC point on the pulley (White mark) and the Cams themself. Probably have to take the timing belt off or just slide it off so you can aling the cams. On stock cams at TDC #1 the Arrows point up and the two dashes on the cam teeth point into eachother (cg- -cg). Since I have never had this problem I'm not completely sure about the what would happen if you turned the cam bolt. I know what you talking about tho because I just recently did my vavles.

with only 5k on the car I would not think your timing belt or ghaskets would need to be replaced.



[Modified by Fooser, 5:19 PM 2/21/2002]

b17gsr

I think you installed them correctly. Did you retighten the belt tensioner correctly?

I think the way you checked your install could be flawed. I don't think that one rotation of the crank, equals one rotation of the cams (look at the timing blet pulley around the crank and the cam gears, two different sizes). Rotate your engine so your TDC on the first cyl. Check that the white mark on the crank pulley lines up with the plastic marker in the timing belt cover.

Fooser

Yes you are correct the Crank is bigger then the cams (twice the size actually). for every 180 degrees of the crank its 90 degrees for the cams. So you rotate the crank 180 degrees from TDC #1 and your at TDC #2. TDC #2 is 90 degrees on the CAM.


[Modified by Fooser, 5:56 PM 2/21/2002]

IntegraGSR2000

Allow me to explain again. I lined up the cam gears perfectly with the mark on the plastic shroud behind the cam gears. I then set the crank at piston #1 TDC. I loosened the tensioner bolt, slipped the belt over the gears, and tightened the tersioner belt. OK...before turning the crank I noted that the cam gears were in perfect alignment and the belt was tight. I then rotated the crank (counter clockwise) intill piston #1 was again at TDC. I know that piston #1 was at TDC again because the up marks on the gears were pointing up. I know about the ratio of turns on the crank to turns on the gears. So...after bringing the engine through a complete cycle I noticed that the cam gears didn't line up anymore. What's the deal?

P.S. the guy that helped me disassemble the head before I sent it to portflow turned the engine to #1 TDC with one of the cam gear bolts. Could this have stretched out a section of the belt thus creating my problem?

Fooser

OK this is what I think happened. When you had the belt off the alignment was off by a 1/4 inch on the pulley. The cam gears were in perfect alignment. Then when you put the Belt back on and did a full rotation to align it you followed the TDC mark on the pully which would of made the cam off by a 1/4 inch. I'm not sure if rotating the cam grear bolt would loosen it causing it to slip a little during rotation of the pulley. try this. Remove the belt again. Make sure your cam gear bolts are on correctly then set your pully at TDC. Align the cam gears so that the arrows are pointed up the the dashes on the ends point into eachother. Once aligned look at your cam lobes. They should point out. Exhaust will point toward the front of your car and the intake will point towards the rear. If this is all ok then place your belt back on and tighten it up. (Make sure your white dash on your pulley is ligned up before putting the belt on.)
Heres what I'm talking about. See the two little dashes on the teeth?


if the belt is trashed it will more then likely slip again. Hard to say that the belt is messed up tho and I dont think rotating by the cam bolt would of caused this. But then again I have never heard of someone rotating it by the cam bolt. Just make sure the cam bolt is connected properly and not loose.
I would try to re-align it before going to buy a new belt.



[Modified by Fooser, 7:05 PM 2/21/2002]

Adi Radoncic

I'm also having a problem with my skunk2's, after installing a head gasket a new waterpump and timing belt I couldn't get the cam gears to line up correctly, like the stockers the marks on the gears sit perfectly up on my skunk2 cam gears to get them to lign up properly I have them both sit kinda more to the left if your looking at the marks like in the picture above.

Now I put my timing belt on and I can't get it to tighten up, so I think I'm gona try to get a new belt, but can anybody tell me if this could be do to a bad tensioner or is there such thing as a bad tensioner?

I installed my belt acording to the chilton manual and torqued it to 41 foot/pounds after i turned the exhaust cam gear 3 teeth to take the slack out of in-between the cam gears. But the belt is not tightening.... ( )

But anyways I wouldn't turn the belt by the cam gear bolt because there is not enough grip in that area to turn over the crank so when you turned the motor over one revolution you might have caused it to slip over one tooth and now your off, I would only turn the motor over by the crank bolt....

Try that,

Adi

P.S. If anybody has suggestions on my problem please feel free and elaborate....

Fooser

Ok so tell me something is your car running?
I dont have alot of experience with Skunk2 cam gears so I dont know if they are the same.
The arrows when at TDC dont sit perfectly straight up. They kind of lean towards the left if your on the drivers side. what I did to get mine right is I ligned up those marks that point into eachother. Then I went on the other side and marked where the middle of the Arrow. I used that as a guide to know where the middle sits. I'm sure if your crank and cam gear alignment was off a little bit it would make it look like your TDC marks are off.


One question. If the pulleys mark is not aligned with the Cam gears marks will it cause problems?


[Modified by Fooser, 11:30 PM 2/21/2002]

alexboy

is this only a problem with the skunk2 cam gears

Adi Radoncic

Well my car is not runing right now sence I'm in the middle of a big buildup with the turbo and everything, but as fahr as progress my skunk2's are sitting like you sead "they are leaned to the left a little bit" and I think i'm good there with the timing adjustment and all but I can't figure out my timing belt.
That is the biggest problem I'm having and thats with the timing belt not wanting to tighten up.....

I don't know what else I should do accept pull everything off again and get a new belt and go from there. Do you have any other suggestions??

Adi

Fooser

Well if the tenshioner is all the way out and the belt is still loose I would look into purchasing a new belt. I would call the Skunk2 makers and find out if there is any special belt that goes with their gears. I wouldnt be suprised if there was. If you cant find anything there I would go to the dealership and pick up a new one.

96b18c

"Now I put my timing belt on and I can't get it to tighten up, so I think I'm gona try to get a new belt, but can anybody tell me if this could be do to a bad tensioner or is there such thing as a bad tensioner?"

there should be tension on one side and the oposite side isn't very tight. I thought I had a bad tensioner 'cause this hapened to me too but my friend told me that one side is looser than the other and I haven't had any problems.