My CA broke :'(

[Sil40sK]

Finally finished putting my CA back together, swapped in a new exhaust cam. Reinstalled timing belt, tightened tensioner according to fsm procedure. Bump the motor over to ensure the tensioner was working, and my timing belt jumped 9 teeth on my cams. Now I can't get my intake cam to turn over all the way(I tried turning it slowly while turning the crank and exhaust cam by hand, there's a spot on the intake cam where it just completely locks and your can hear a slight tap right before it gets stuck, it rotates about 345* in either directions then gets stuck, that's with the exhaust cam and crank at TDC and the belt not attached) I think I bent an intake valve, I'm pulling my head tomorrow to check. I'm going to explode if it's bent. Every time I fix something on my motor, something else goes wrong. Plus I'm leaving for school soon, I have no money, and this is my only method of transportation. I feel rather stupid because I probubly screwed something up when I was tightening the tensior) GAHHHH this sucks. Sorry I'm very angry and had to vent.

[davidricardo86]

Finally finished putting my CA back together, swapped in a new exhaust cam. Reinstalled timing belt, tightened tensioner according to fsm procedure. Bump the motor over to ensure the tensioner was working, and my timing belt jumped 9 teeth on my cams. Now I can't get my intake cam to turn over all the way(I tried turning it slowly while turning the crank and exhaust cam by hand, there's a spot on the intake cam where it just completely locks and your can hear a slight tap right before it gets stuck, it rotates about 345* in either directions then gets stuck, that's with the exhaust cam and crank at TDC and the belt not attached) I think I bent an intake valve, I'm pulling my head tomorrow to check. I'm going to explode if it's bent. Every time I fix something on my motor, something else goes wrong. Plus I'm leaving for school soon, I have no money, and this is my only method of transportation. I feel rather stupid because I probubly screwed something up when I was tightening the tensior) GAHHHH this sucks. Sorry I'm very angry and had to vent.

Damn dude that sucks!!!! It can be fixed. But damn thats too bad...

Are you sure you didnt set the timing wrong? Sounds like you might of. Was it an unmodified oem cam? Were you using any adj. cam gears? You said you think it has to do with the tensioner?

[float_6969]

With the motor at TDC you're not going to be able to completely rotate either cam 360°. You're probably hearing the valve touch the piston, which it's supposed to do.

Don't pull the head yet. Reset the motor at TDC, pull the crank pulley, upper, and lower timing covers and redo the timing belt. BEFORE YOU PUT IT BACK TOGETHER, put the bolt for the crank pulley back into the crank. Remove all of the spark plugs, put the car in neutral, and then turn the motor over by hand. The starter can bend a valve, turning it over by hand can't. If that comes out alright, then do a compression test.

[boost_boy]

float is right! Don't go popping-off the head so fast! Here, let me give you instructions on how to set the timing by yourself:

1. Set intake cam gear to designated point

2. Use a suitable screwdriver and jam it behind the cam gear to keep the assembly from moving out of position.

3. Repeat the same for the exhaust side as well.

4. Make sure the little mark on the lower timing sprocket is set inline with the indentation on the oil pump housing.

5. Put on your belt and set tension, so that the belt is snug but not too tight.

6. Secure tensioner and rotate engine a few complete revolutions then recheck all marks to make sure everything lined-up perfectly. If it rotates freely. you didn't bend the valves. If it gives you grief while rotating the crank, then you've probably bent the valves on the intake side and will need some new valves.

7. If you follow these instructions, you should know right away if you're okay or screwed. Good luck!

Dee

[Sil40sK]

I was using stock cam gears. I'll try what you guys said. Just wondering do you guys have problems with the intake cam aligning up with the little mark on the front cover?, because the dot on my intake cam always wants to sit like 2 teeth off unless i hold the cam so that the marks line up.

[rico05]

Dee, thank you SO MUCH for posting that info. I had a bear of a time redoing my timing last time I had the head off. That screwdriver to hold the cam gear in place is so simple, yet so perfect!!!

[missionsix43]

Says the guy who got angry at me for telling him to just line up the cam sensor by hand.

Sorry to say it bud, but good work.

Good luck fixing whatever is wrong now.

As far as setting the timing goes, grab 4 zipties, and a little strip of tape, and your timing belt has to be either pre marked or mark it yourself.

1) Rotate the cams into tdc position (does not have to be exact i know they move around a little)

2) Line up the mark on the belt for the intake cam, put a ziptie on either side of it to hold the belt on and in position.

3) Repeat step 2 for the exhaust cam.

4) With the tensioner fully loose, take your small strip of tape and put it AROUND the belt through the marked cog for the crank sprocket. This way you can see the where the mark is from above.

5) Get it on the crank sprocket correctly, get the belt properly situated, tighten the tensioner down.

6) Remove zipties and turn the motor over by hand a few times, recheck tensioner and cam/crank positions. If everything checks out, remove the small strip of tape you put on the belt earlier.

7) You are done, no ghetto jamming screwdrivers into cam gears.

[kahlistrophic]

if you dont want to mess with your cam gears you could take off your rocker covers and rotate the cams using the hex sections and a wrench..just be very careful.

[boost_boy]

Jamming the screwdriver is ghetto, huh! I most definitely wouldn't try that noobish-crap with no zip ties and some stinkin' tape because you're about to set someone up to fail. (Tape? )The whole idea is to set the cam gears in their respective positions and preventing them from moving. You use your method and I'll use mine, but don't get off calling my method ghetto because you don't know what the ghetto is, only what you hear from the media or wherever you pcik-up your information. And BTW, I've built more engines with success using my method and for the most part, it's alot more simpler than screwing around with flimsy zip ties and whatever in the hell you was talking about. This thread is for helping a fellow member and not trying to make them feel bad for not taking your advice or bashing someone's method of doing a task. Maybe he felt you haven't proven to be worthy enough for giving critical advice . And you're definitely wasting your time trying to down-play my methods. So I caution you, either you have something informative to contribute or keep your pissy little weak-@ss comments to yourself. You won't be warned again.

Dee

[rico05]

I love Dee.

Ship my valve cover out yet, btw?

[240sxbobbis]

gggggguint dee laying the smack down talk about keeping it gangsta ... anyway besides the point this is good info ive been looking for something like this because i plan on changing my timing belt soon..

[missionsix43]

Jamming the screwdriver is ghetto, huh! I most definitely wouldn't try that noobish-crap with no zip ties and some stinkin' tape because you're about to set someone up to fail. (Tape? )The whole idea is to set the cam gears in their respective positions and preventing them from moving. You use your method and I'll use mine, but don't get off calling my method ghetto because you don't know what the ghetto is, only what you hear from the media or wherever you pcik-up your information. And BTW, I've built more engines with success using my method and for the most part, it's alot more simpler than screwing around with flimsy zip ties and whatever in the hell you was talking about. This thread is for helping a fellow member and not trying to make them feel bad for not taking your advice or bashing someone's method of doing a task. Maybe he felt you haven't proven to be worthy enough for giving critical advice . And you're definitely wasting your time trying to down-play my methods. So I caution you, either you have something informative to contribute or keep your pissy little weak-@ss comments to yourself. You won't be warned again.

Dee

Set someone up to fail? Please. Doing it the way I described ensures that the timing belt is correctly installed.

Tape, YES, a 2mm thick strip of blue painters tape so that the lower timing mark on the belt is visible from above. (the line isnt painted on the cogs ya know.)

The method I use takes about a minute to get the belt on and lined up and tightened, and does not involve jamming anything anywhere. You can use your method if you like, I was just giving someone another method they could use, you do not have to be hurt by this.

The proper way to do it would be to line up everything by hand, the zipties merely hold the belt securely on the timing gears to ensure that the belt does not slip.

There is no need to threaten me with banning because I described a method that differs from yours, O' CA God.

.....