Thread: Trouble setting timing.

There should be 20 pins between the timing marks on the sprockets. From the looks of the first video you have 21. The timing marks should fall in the middle of the link for the intake and the exhaust. On your intake side you are in the middle of the link but on your exhaust side you are at the end of the link. Your timing is out!

If you really want a proper visual, you should rotate the engine by hand until the yellow timing marks on the chain are lined up with the timing marks on the sprockets. This usually happens once every (appx.) 100 engine rotations.

You need:

- Yellow timing chain marks and timing marks on sprockets (cam gears) to match
- Crank pulley at TDC (2nd mark from left)
- cyl. #1 cam lobes pointing away from eachother
- confirmed piston #1 is at TDC with a screwdriver
- Intake sprocket key @ 10 o'clock/ Exhaust sprocket key @ 12 o'clock
- 20 pins in between the timing marks
- 11 total chain links used. (9 full links, 1/2 for intake & 1/2 half for exhaust)
- no chain slack in between the gears or in between the exhaust and the crank gear.

What I just listed IS OVERKILL but if you confirm all of this then you can not be wrong. Also, I know some of the other members covered most of this but here it is all in the same post.

If you have chain slack in the wrong spot, you will need to remove, compress and re-install the tensioner.

PS - Please stop going WOT when your engine sounds like that!!

Here you go man. Check these two threads for reference pictures of what I mean about the 20 pins, 11 total links (9, 1/2, 1/2), etc.

http://www.sr20-forum.com/naturally-aspirated-all-motor/43837-how-check-camshaft-timing.html

http://www.sr20-forum.com/general-sr20/13407-cam-timming.html

Note that in the second thread (picture) the timing marks on the chain (grey on this chain) don't line up with the cam gears timing marks but he still has the 20 pins in between and the proper amount of links, etc, etc. The yellow marks on your chain (OEM colour) will only line up once every 100 or 200 rotations (can't remember exactly). They don't have to match the cam gear marks in order for the timing to be correct but it provides a proper visual and if you do this, you will see that your timing is off.

i reset the timing.


i drove down the street and back but im still getting rattle sound just not as intense, im thinking that the tensioner i got is not putting enough tension on the chain because i notice that there is sections on the chain that have more slack than others as im rotating the crank by hand.

from the vid's and the pictures, i'm confident that the link's are all ok there. i'm really not trying to confuse you re teeth/links,there just different ways of getting the same result.when you wrote 20 links,i was thinking 20 teeth...

the driving noise,especially the start up,sounds very much like a mad chain rattle.tensioner would be plan a...

So I've Come to the conclusion that it's my tensioner. I read somewhere that they made it longer in the later Sr20 and I'm guessing the one I got from the Store is not the correct one.

Also the gasket that is on there is leaking like crazy which is messing with the oil pressure the tensioner needs to work properly

the new tensioner has finer teeth is stronger and longer (giggity) get it from Gspec he only has the good ones

im getting it from Travis at infiniti of Escondido. its like a 5 min drive away from me

yea i notice that with the one i have even when i rotate the motor by hand it always has a few spots that have slack between the cam gears, i think its just that my car came with the new longer one so this one just falls short of the streight and length that my car had before.

hopefully it comes in soon and i can take care of this issue once and for all.

Jack up the passenger side front, stick in 5th and rotate the front passenger wheel/tire clockwise to take up the chain's slack. Then check the tension on the tensioner side of the chain down below the intake cam gear. If it's all loosey goosey the tensioner isn't doing it's job. It could be bad or not engaged properly.

Also make sure the chain is riding properly on the tensioner's guide. It should be centered and riding between the guide's ridges. Shoot a flashlight down there and see if there's any cracks or damage to the guide, as well.

Yes, but when he does this won't this also rotate the crankshaft......which will move it from the 0۫۫ t.d.c timing mark on the pulley?