hello-

I have finally begun to assemble my motor, and I came to the timing belt today. In my helms it told me to place a pin punch through the cam plate, into the camshaft in order to ensure TDC.

Here is what it looks like, with the pin punch. The holes do not go all the way through the cam, so they can only be put in one direction.


I am pretty sure this isnt a big deal, but looking at the marks on the cam gear, I see this.


I am pretty confident my cams are at TDC but I figured I would ask anyways.

Thanks!

 

I've never used the pin punch method, but I know from experience that getting those TDC cam marks to line up can be a BITCH. Trial and error... that looks a tooth off or so.

 

do you have the right size punch in there? if its to small it will let the cam move a little bit to make it 1 tooth off.. the pin or punch you use should be the same size as the hole.. maby that will help

 

thanks for the replies!

the punch is a 3/16" punch. The helms recommends 5mm. 5mm equates to .19" while 3/16 is equal to .1875.

However - I just went out there again. I turned the intake came a bit to the front of the motor, and the exhaust cam a bit to the back.

everything lines up fine now the notches match each other and they are at the same level as the top of the head

thanks! I will make sure to use a 5mm when I actually install the timing belt!

 

i just use drill bits

 

ooohh sneeaky! what size? 5mm?

 

ahh i just get into the box till i find some that fit like a glove..lol i know they are standard and not metric tho but cant remember the size

 

i thought the pins were supposed to go right next to the gears...
also you need to be usin the "UP" arrow to line up the gears. (if you have them, which all oems should have)

nothin is wrong with your gears, that looks off to you because youre looking at it alittle differently.

take a pic from the side of the both whole gears and the top spokes will be parallel.

 

yeh the top spokes are indeed parallel.

To be honest I dont know why there are 2 holes in the cam plate - if you look at my first picture, the holes I chose because they are above the rough casted looking section and not the actual lobes of the cam. There are no holes in the cam on the other two holes in the cam plate(s)

With the pins in there, I can have the gears like that, or both gears with the up pointing straight up. When both point straight up, the two hatches on the side also line up with each other, as well as the top of the head.

Here is what I am referring to. I know in both of these pictures, the cams are in phase with each other, but I think one of the pictures is true TDC while the other is not.



versus



First picture is TDC, right?

 

youre using the wrong holes i think.

look right next to the gear in the last cap. theres a hole in each one...thats where you need to put the pins.

those extra little marks arent really for anything on the gear (at say (1,0) using a cartesian coordintate system)

-derek

 

I just looked, those are the only holes in the cam plates. I looked at the helms, they showed the same ones I do too.

I think I got it right though, dont I? yer tellin me the marks I got pictured do not denote TDC?

now im confused!

 

The first pic does look like TDC..

To make sure it is timed correctly,
Put the timing belt on and adjust the tensioner as described
in the manual.Then without the sparkplugs installed,

Rotate the crank counter-clockwise two revolutions
back to #1 TDC and see if the marks are still lined up then..

 

im talking about a hole in the cam cap closest to the cam gear. maybe that style is only on LS motors im not sure...

 

it might only be LS? I Can go take a picture but I guarantee theres no hole

maybe an obd2 motor has that hole? Mine is OBD1

 

what youre doing is right. and your at TDC, just rotate the engine after you put on the belt and see if its still at TDC.