i know for sure that my crank pulley is set to tdc.. but when i checked my cam gears, they were way off. for those who dont know, i just bought a motor.

how would i go about making the cam gears in tdc while my crank pulley is at tdc?

 

First I'd do the screw driver test and if the cranks showing to be at tdc then you may have a problem...you'll need to r&r the timing belt so you can realign the cam gears then you might want to do a compression or leak down test to make sure that none of the valves have gotten bent due to the missalignment. hope this helps and good luck.

 

how do i do the screw driver test?

 

bump.. help please

 

screwdriver test. Take the spark plug out of cylinder #1, closest to the timing assembly. Stick a CLEAN screw driver into the spark plug hole and turn the crank. The screwdriver will lower and raise, as expected. Find the point in which the screw driver is at the highest point, and the slightest movement of the crankshaft will begin to drop the screwdriver. Now check you tdc, the marks on either the crank pulley and lower timing cover, or the crank timing pulley and the engines block. These marks should line up at the points, while both your cam gears are pointing directly at 12oclock, and the side markings on your gears should be horizontal to each other. It is that simple.

Now if you cant you tdc right then, than your on the same boat as me...
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1178836

 

keep in mind that TDC occurs twice during each combustion cycle, at the top of the compression stroke and again at the top exhaust stroke (beginning of the intake stroke). So when the screwdriver is up, the cam gears will either be pointing straight up or straight down (should be anyway).

If your cams are way off, then you won't be able to turn the crank through a full rotation, as some of the pistons will touch open valves and prevent you from turning it farther. If this is the case, be glad you found it now and not when trying to crank the engine over.

To get it right, just slip the timing belt off the cam gears and tensioner, set the crank to TDC #1 piston, set the cam gears so the arrows point up AND the index marks on the gears are directly adjacent to each other, and then install the timing belt back over the gears. Remember to install the belt over the tensioner and water pump sprocket, and then the exhaust cam gear FIRST before installing it over the intake cam gear. You must do it in this order to get the belt to tension properly. If you install it over the intake cam gear first before the exhaust cam gear, you will be much more likely to have the belt being 1-2 teeth off, which could end up leading to damage, or at the least a very poorly running engine.

 

Basically what he is saying is already compensated for in an chilton/haynes manual. If you read the instructions in these manuals, it states, place tdc three belt notches forward, tention belt, and check after three revolutions. Somthing like that.

 

hrmm.. ok. ill try the screwdriver test first thing in the morning. so.. if the cam gears arent pointing straight up or down while screwdriver is all the way up.. my timing is off. ok. so i take off my timing belt and set my crank to tdc #1. how do i keep the crank in tdc while i adjust the cam gears to tdc?? if i try to adjust the cam gears.. wont i move the crank also?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RSVTECDC4 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hrmm.. ok. ill try the screwdriver test first thing in the morning. so.. if the cam gears arent pointing straight up or down while screwdriver is all the way up.. my timing is off. ok. so i take off my timing belt and set my crank to tdc #1. how do i keep the crank in tdc while i adjust the cam gears to tdc?? if i try to adjust the cam gears.. wont i move the crank also?</TD></TR></TABLE>

that's why you will have to remove the timing belt from the cam gears if you find that the cam timing is indeed off.

But pay close attention to the index marks on the edge of the gear teeth. Those are more important than the UP arrows. The arrows should point in the general up direction, but they won't be exactly perpendicular to the ground. The index marks lining up is what is most important.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jwbetley &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Basically what he is saying is already compensated for in an chilton/haynes manual. If you read the instructions in these manuals, it states, place tdc three belt notches forward, tention belt, and check after three revolutions. Somthing like that.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah that is how you tension the belt, but you still have to install the belt over the exhaust cam gear before the intake cam gear to avoid possibility of being off by 1 or 2 teeth. The reason is because of the long run uninterrupted distance from the exhaust cam gear down to the crankshaft sprocket. When you install the timing belt, you pull the belt taught along that long run, and then install it over the exhaust cam gear. If you were to install it over the intake cam gear first, you would be pulling on the belt on that side to get it to go over the gear, which would pull the tensioner pulley and allow the belt to go over the intake cam gear in the wrong position, and also cause the belt to be loose along that long run down to the crank sprocket. By installing it over the exhaust cam gear first, you're ensuring that you get the belt installed in the correct position.

 

are they stock cam gears, or are they aftermarket. They have different marks, i just figured it out. Check it out
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1178836

 

i have after market cam gears..

 

oh, btw. where is the index mark located?