Timing Chain Misalignment after rotation

[Razi]

I've replaced my headgasket recently, and now I'm in the process of putting everything back together.

During the process, I put on my camshafts and chain, and lined up the links, but if I rotate the engine a couple of times, the links don't end up back to their original spots above the notches on the camshaft gears. (Like shown in the picture below.)

So my question is, is this normal?If I think about it, I could understand why this happens but I'm not sure if this is normal behavior.

Thanks ahead of time.

[Chris28]

As long as the crank dot was lined up with the colored link at the same time your cams were lined up with the dot and colored link, you will be fine. It's not gonna line up every rotation. Just rotate the crank with a breaker bar and make sure nothing is hitting anything on the inside.

I was going to make up some crazy simile or metaphor about how the marks are like the planets and they only line up at certain times and stuff, but then I realized that I don't know enough about astrology to pull it off.

[Razi]

Thank you, that's what I thought.

Yeah, I've rotated it and nothing hit, smooth all the time. The planets are pleased!

Thanks for chiming in Chris!

[Chris28]

Haha no prob. It seems like the only places I post anymore are here and the KA-T section, general chat is only there for the lulz.

May I ask why you replaced your HG? Trying to race a honduh and cranked up the boost too much, or just preemptive measure?

[Razi]

It went out on the freeway.

I overheated a long time ago, and my oil was sort of milky and I didn't think much of it.I thought all my cold starts and short trips in the morning just caused condensation to form, dumb thought.

It finally pooped on the freeway.I don't mind it though, it's good to have a fresh headgasket and I also got to remove all that EGR junk.

Also made an EGR blockoff plate with a small saw and dremel. It takes place of the gasket. I also sprayed it with copper gasket maker to make sure it seals well.

[Jdmstyles]

^ ^ Nice ingenuity.

And ^5 for your avatar.

[Chris28]

Nice! I tried to make one, but finally gave in and ordered one from ebay.

[liquid_cool]

sup razi!..hay man..dont forget to flush out all that bad oil in the cams and oiling system after you get it back to gether..and the cooling system too....fill her with crap oil...run it for like 20 mins...then dump all the fluids..even the coolent...and full her with goodness..dont forget to change the filters too.....

P.S. thats a really clean egr plate man...nice work.

[Razi]

Haha thanks.

Yeah, I'm gonna run her with cheaper oil for a while and then change to a better oil and put on a new filter to clean out any crap that's left over.

[Razi]

Well..She started... but she misfires a little bit.

I also hear a hissing noise from near my intake manifold, maybe it's coming from my intercooler pipe?I sprayed some engine degreaser around the intercooler piping and manifold a bit, and it didn't stop the hissing or the rough idle.

My vacuum is also at 18-19, it used to be at 23, I'm not sure if it's like that because I removed the EGR and some vacuum hoses or if there is a vacuum leak somewhere...

Any ideas?

Edit:ROFL nvm, the throttle body was adjust a little too much and was slightly open.

Misfires only a little bit now. hmmm.

Also, the oil pressure light comes on when I start idling.Then it grows brigther or darker as I speed up.This happened the day my head gasket went bad.The Autometer oil pressure gauge reads 30 once it's warmed up.The engine hesitates once in a while as I speed up too.

Gahhh this engine is bugging me.

Modified by Razi at 12:38 AM 8/31/2009
Modified by Razi at 12:41 AM 8/31/2009

[USMCgetsome]

my oil pressure gauge reads 40 psi at idle and 65-80 while driving. btw nice egr plate!

[armwood15]

im having the same problem but it locks up is there any difference in a 91 and 95 and up cylinder head or the cams

[liquid_cool]

you guys might be a tooth off on the cam alighnment...try to retime it..i know its a pain....this is what id look for....set your crank to the top dead center mark...tdc..pull your valve and upper cover..look carefully at those lobes..it bet there slightly off on one of em....the reason this happens is due to the chain tentioner not having any pressure on the chain at time of alighnment...when you add this pressure later on..it changes the alighnment slightly to one side or another by just 1 tooth...now that there is pressure on the chain ..check the alighnment..and make a mark for where the cams should be on the sprocket with a sharpie marker..wipe the oil off first thou..lol.....this is the best advice i can give with the info given..hope this helps..keep us posted.