im having a problem lineing up the timing on my ls vtec, the cams are lined up perfectly but the crank seems to be a bit off... this isnt my first big rodeo either lol, ive done plenty of others d and b series.

setup ls block
b16 head
gsr water pump
gsr timing belt

i had the block resurfaced before assembly, i dont kno for sure if the head was or how many times it was, maybe thats my issue?

heres a pic to show you what im dealing with

 

thanks in advance

john

 

that at the crank is very very little at the cams.
you should have some adjustable gears to account for the milling. search for the degrees per 10 thousands to adjust.

 

search for the degrees? care to explain a little more? are you saying i have to put a degree wheel on my engine? ive seen them before but never used one

thanks
john

 

Redo it. I had a b20vtec before and had no issue with lining up TDC marks.

 

get adjustable cam gears, that is what they are for. If you've decked the block and don't know about the head, Then your crank, cam relation will be off.

 

i did several times

 

will i be able to adjust the crank to tdc with the adjustable gears without having to put a degree wheel on my engine?

thanks
john

 

bump

 

Adjustable cam gears are not going to make a difference. They all still have TDC marks which you will have to install the same way as stock cam gears.

 

 

Hmm from what I heard cam gear adjustments are only needed for cam degreeing/adjustments on a dyno.

 

and when there's a good amount milled off the block/head.

 

You learn something new everyday!

 

i really dont know how much the head has been milled. instead of running a thinner headgasket could i degree the cams more than what you are saying i have a golden eagle three layer. if so to do this correctly i would have to use a degree wheel?

thanks
john

 

a degree wheel has nothing to do with this. if the block was milled and the head has ever been off before this time, it is a safe bet to assume 20 thou off. so set the 1/2 degree on the cams and see where that puts you.

if the machine shop had the head this time when they had your block, it is a very safe assumption they did. if it was just some general shop that doesn't think in terms of Honda it is standard procedure to cut the head. the only way to check it is to go to northern tools or harbor freight and grab a cheap caliper. measure the thickness of the head.

 

im gonna pick up a set of cam gears this week, and im gonna adjust them and see where that brings me, before i pull the head off and measure it...

 

Show us a photo of where the crank cog (not the crank pulley) lines up it's mark to the triangle mark on the oil pump.

 

i did the best to square the crank up, left to right is pretty much prefect, up and down i did the best i could because the engine is in the car and the body got it the way

 

bump

 

forsure get some adjustable cam gears

 

yea i just ordered a set of golden eagles, i called my engine builder to see if he can put his degree wheel on my engine but im pretty sure i have to pull the engine back outa the car!!

 

so engine is out waiting for the gears to come in

 

Yup. Something was definitely taken down (block or head) enough to change where everything lines up. I just wanted you to verify that the mark you were seeing on the crank pulley wasn't just the outer portion of the pulley rotating on the dampening material, which is quite common. This is also why you should always time the engine with the crank cog and not the pulley.