ka24de timing problem motor wont run please help!

[fuco8210]

I have been a honda guy all my life and got the opportunity to get a very decent 240 for real cheap.. I sold my 400hp hatch and now have lots of money to throw at this beast..

Ok so i picked up a 92 240sx off a buddy for real cheap.. the reason i got it cheap was he stripped the lower timing gear port on the head, got a new head put it on and the problems started... when we set the cam gear timing the way it should be with the intake dot on the cam gear at about 11:30 and the exhaust at about 2:30 we couldn't get it to build compression and run.. what he did was set up the timing a little forward on the cams say like 12:30 and 3 and we got it build compression, fire and run.. but poorly, it had decent low end but mid and top was flat and the timing definitly wasn't right.. We used the dealer manual so we were sure everything was perfect.. He gave up on it and sold it to me for a few hundred bucks...

Ok i am very mechanically capable so i figured i could fix this pretty easy and get it running right.. so today i got up and redid the upper timing configuration... set it to like 11:30 and 2:30, made sure the chain was lined up right with 7 links in between... i put it all back together and it wont fire.. no t a surprise as i watched and helped him put the new head on and assemble everything... i checked the compression and #1 came up with alittle under 120psi on a cold motor... anyone ever had something like this happen? Any insight would be helpful thank you.
Modified by fuco8210 at 11:24 AM 5/23/2007

[gthammers]

Don't use the dots unless you know the link count and checked it yourself. I had a crank-intermediate chain mismarked. What a *****!

Move #1 to TDC. Go to Jim Wolf Technology (http://jimwolftechnology.com/wolfpdf/CA ... KA24DE.PDF) to see your cam set-up.

Chain dots are BS, but follow Jim and you'll be fine. Or at least the timing will be on!

Good luck. I'm just buttoning up a Ka24DE, so I am fresh on this.

[fuco8210]

thanks for the reply.. yeah ive been looking at jims write up on cams and with everything set up right it wont build enough compression and run but with it set up wrong like my buddy had it it will build about 150psi and run weak.. i just dont want to go to far and start bendin valves

[gthammers]

Dumb question, but you're sure #1's at TDC (usually 2nd mark from left on the crank pulley)?

When I had the mismarked lower chain things were really weird!

[fuco8210]

Dumb question, but you're sure #1's at TDC (usually 2nd mark from left on the crank pulley)?

When I had the mismarked lower chain things were really weird!

yep 2nd mark from left with a little yellow on it... im stumped.. motor will build about 150psi with the dots at 12:30 and 3.; 120psi at stock 11:30 and 2:30 or whatever it is