Cam timing hell, please help
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: KC
Cam timing hell, please help Ok as part of my ls1 swap I figured I'd change the head/cam/timing chain. Either my firing order or cam timing is off-after first crank, backfire and locked. Looks like I have the coils/injectors wired right.
#1 always has spark when I turn the key but don't crank it. When we installed the cam we had to guess on which of 3 marks on the comp cam timing chain crank sprocket to use, and when we went to try to get the rockers on it was fully seizing.Figured the valves where off. No prob, we rotated the crank to tdc and made the mark on the cam sproket face down/6 oclock and figured tdc with the mark down must be the only way it could be. It's wrong?
Could when you reinstall the cam position sensor be important? Could I have miswired something? Or was it a pure idiot move trying to line up tdc and the cam without being able to see the mark on the crank sprocket?
Any thoughts?
#1 always has spark when I turn the key but don't crank it. When we installed the cam we had to guess on which of 3 marks on the comp cam timing chain crank sprocket to use, and when we went to try to get the rockers on it was fully seizing.Figured the valves where off. No prob, we rotated the crank to tdc and made the mark on the cam sproket face down/6 oclock and figured tdc with the mark down must be the only way it could be. It's wrong?
Could when you reinstall the cam position sensor be important? Could I have miswired something? Or was it a pure idiot move trying to line up tdc and the cam without being able to see the mark on the crank sprocket?
Any thoughts?
TECH Resident
Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Orlando
Re: Cam timing hell, please help Agreed. Start there. I have just recently seen first hand how the dot's alignment is crucial to the engine and its abilty to make power. One tooth cost me a boat load of power although the engine cranked, idled, and ran fine. Research info on the timing set you used. There was someone here a while ago that had confusion about the dots on the crank sprocket and got all turned around. As long as you didn't "fubar" anything, you should be okay after realignment.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 593
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From: Chicago Heights, IL
Re: Cam timing hell, please help You must absolutely do everything in your power to make sure the dots look like this before buttoning everything back together.
As you can see, even if it were off one tooth, it would be noticable.
As you can see, even if it were off one tooth, it would be noticable.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 138
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From: KC
Re: Cam timing hell, please help it's a cloyes/compcam so no nice mark like that in ther, it's a multiple choice quiz nightmare, o, ||, or triangle that got me in this mess in the firstplace.
Thanks for the picture though, I appreciate it.
I searched internal engine for cloyes- if I'm out 180 and it starts without the cam sensor in I'll have found that I'm 180 off. Don't want to destroy my motor so I don't think I should try it. I'll bite the bullet and tear it all up so I can get at the lower gear and make sure I have the 0 up and hope for the best. I'll mark the other 2 as well so I only will need to drop the pan/oil pump once if I'm wrong. No hints in the docs that came with the chain set, grrrrr
Thanks for the picture though, I appreciate it.
I searched internal engine for cloyes- if I'm out 180 and it starts without the cam sensor in I'll have found that I'm 180 off. Don't want to destroy my motor so I don't think I should try it. I'll bite the bullet and tear it all up so I can get at the lower gear and make sure I have the 0 up and hope for the best. I'll mark the other 2 as well so I only will need to drop the pan/oil pump once if I'm wrong. No hints in the docs that came with the chain set, grrrrr
