Okay, so I'm following JMX's instructions exactly and he gets to installing the timing chain and really doesn't say anything about installing a double roller. He just says match up the dots on the timing gear and crank gear. Most people would probably take this as a given, but how can he leave that part out when everything else is sooooo detailed. Sucks. I had such a PITA of a time taking the stock crank gear off that I didn't realize you had to put the new one on in the exact same place. I realized this when I went to compress the #1 spring and the valve went down. What do I do? How can I make sure the crank gear dot is right? Will the valve stem fall all the way into the cylinder? I need some advice. Thanks.

 

When the crank dot is straight up #1 should be at top dead center. The valve will only fall a little bit, like 1/4 inch.

Are you using the double roller with 9 slots for the crank key? If so there is another dot on the gear which corresponds to where the slot would be on the stock gear. Or you could just look at the old gear.

 

the keyway on the crank should be at the 2 o'clock position then #1 is at TDC

JR

 

It should have only gone on one way... its notched so you cant screw it up.....
or atleast mine was...
should be a large dot for TDC and a small dot that is just a casting mark...
Double check your old gear to see how it lines up....

HOW FAR DID IT DROP???


TDC should be #1 and #6 cylinder....
the valves will drop a 1/4 inch or so ...then they hit the piston.....
has the valve already dropped into the motor???
If not.... slowly rotate the motor and it should push it back up...if it starts to go further...then turn the crank the other way....
go real slow!!!
you can check for cylinder TDC by puting a straw...or a ziptie or something thru the spark plug hole and feeling for the piston to be at the top..or feeling which way the piston is moving.....
you can feel the piston come up and will usually be able to tell it is at TDC..or atleast close enough to not worry.

 

So is it safe for me to turn the motor over by hand without dropping the valve into the cylinder? The stem dropped down into the head, but I can still see it. I can't grab it though.

As for the chain, I'm using a Heat treated Rollmaster Double Roller. Thanks for the help guys. So 2 o" clock and #1 and #6.

 

the other option is using a shot of compressed air to try to push it shut... or somehow pushing it back up with something thru the spark plug hole....
might be a little far in to try to use the piston to push it back up...I could not honestly tell you at this point. never had one that far in....

you could maybe try a pen magnet to pull it back up....
I Dunno???

even if you can just barely get it back up far enough to grab.....

might need a 2nd set of hands to help...

 

Yeah, I might try buying a spark plug fitting and shooting some compressed air in the cylinder. Hopefully that will work. We'll see. Thanks a lot.

 

just get a compression tester kit...it has the spark plug fiting in it...and you can test the compression at the same time...make sure it all seals