timing chain problems

[lilskyline240]

Ok so i just bought another 240 as my project and its having timing issues...runs like *** unless i retard the timing at the distributer all the way then it will be able to run...not the greatest but it runs....so i figured the cam timing was off....so i take off the upper chain cover and valve cover and look at the cam relation to the chain and the idler sprocket....and im soooo confused....with the crank at what i thought was TDC the front cam lobes seem to be off by one tooth on the intake cam....then i look at the idler sprocket and the notch on it is almost straight up and down!!! that doesnt make any sense to me....so i rotated the crank one more revolution and now the idler sprocket seems to be in the right spot for TDC but the cams are way off where they should be now and the front lobes are pointed almost directly inward now!!! any suggestions? could the cams be 180 degrees off?? or is the crank?

help plz!!!

[480sx]

You need to talk to the person you bought this from. Ask him questions about what he has done to the car. Make it known that your not angry about anything, you just need to know. Ask him if he has changed the Headgasket, or gone into the engine at all. Just make it known that you dont care either way, you just really need to know if he has messed with the cam timing. Also, get a timing light and make sure your timing is set correctly. I think you have a DOHC from the sound of it, 20 for DOHC and 15 for SOHC.

[lilskyline240]

i figured it out...the guy had an s13 exhaust cam in the intake side of the s14 motor....so the cam sprocket timing mark isnt going to line up with the timing chain correctly.....