Thread: Cams + Crank Timing Chain Question..Mating Marks..

Double-check you're at the proper TDC and then snap a pic or two of the cam gears face-on.

Maybe the distributor/rotor/cap is damaged? Maybe the CAS disc has been flipped?

distributor was swapped out the last time we were figuring this out..didn't change a thing.

I'm going to check cam timing again. It was last checked maybe a year ago. If cam timing looks correct this time, I'm done messing with it and will move on to figuring out other reasons why I'm losing power (I know I have a boost leak near the compressor housing somewhere ON the turbo for one)..

-G

To truly check timing you'd have to take the oil pump off to check all the links are lined up.

No you dont, If you think the crank pulley is separated and showing the timing off then put something down in the #1 spark plug hole like a hanger or a long extension and line it up at TDC on the crank pulley and see if its truely at tdc.

If your pulley is lined up properly then yeah your cam timing was dead on man. I can tell just by looking at it. Its not rocket science.

Quoted for truth

let me cross reference the threads for anyone confused or searching this in the future:

http://www.sr20-forum.com/turbo/45939-strange-dyno-graph-dip-missing-whp-updated-ecutalk-logs.html

Listen young'in(lol I'm old), re-read my post and see that I said 'truely', I didn't say 'it was the only way', so lets not start a pissing contest here. If you're confident in your eye telling you that the gold link is on the dot of the crank sproket via the screw-driver, piece of metal, or broomstick method, good for you, I on the other hand(even though I have a decerning eye)dont trust the object down the hole technique.

You are correct in saying this isn't rocket science, its automotive technology, and reverse engineered at that.

LOL, dude ive been doing this a long long time. Im not that young but yes maybe younger than you. But ive built and built and built SR after SR and if the timing chain is off one tooth on the crank you are talking about 15 deg or so. Which is highly noticeable on both checking with an extension down on the piston and looking at the cam sprockets and where they are supposed to be at. The dowell pins are supposed to be at 12 oclock exhaust and 10 oclock on the intake. The 12 oclock on the exhaust is the easiest to eyeball. If you have even one tooth off on the cam which is about 7 deg or so you will still easily be able to tell its not exactly at 12 oclock on the dowel pin. Once you have the exhaust perfectly at 12 oclock count 20 pins on the chain over to the next dot. You have to have 20 pins inbetween. If you do then you know your intake cam is at the right position as well and the cams are timed with each other and the crank.

Not hard man. You dont need the links to tell you where exactly they need to be at. thats for manufacturing purposes only and for full rebuild purposes only. Not trying to start a pissing match but ive done this way too many times and yeah, I can tell by looking at it. And since his car is still running really really good its more than likely his cam timing is correct. His issue with the whole cant get any more than 15 deg out of the distributor is something else. Either not in timing mode correctly or its something with the jwt ecu.

hmm, I can set the car to greater than 15*, but to get it to 15* I have to advance the distributor quite a bit. I use Consult any time I adjust timing to get it into timing mode. Really a weird situation. JWT tune isn't out of question I guess.

-G