Moving along in my project, and trying to get my only car up and running....

Timing chain: RAVE tells me to stick pulley bolt on, move engine until marks align, take off bolt.

What am I missing? If I put the bolt on and turn it to align the marks, then they un-align when I take bolt off.

Can someone tell me how, then, I can align them? Am I only supposed to put the bolt on as a stabilizer of some sort, and move the engine to line up the marks some other way?

And anything else I'll need to know doing the timing chain down the road that may not make sense to me???

Also one more question while I'm thinking about finally putting my truck back together - the front cover gasket itself. Do I use gasket sealer on it? It has a black stripe running through one side of it, I was thinking it may be a stripe of sealant of some sort built in?

Yeah, as if I'm going to get that back on today! Day is moving quickly, and I am only to where I expected to be last night.

My hope is still to finish tonight and be able to go to work tomorrow...

Thanks for any help/advise/instructions,

Marni

 

Check out the videos


usually there is a keyway in the cam shaft.
And a key way in the crank shaft.

A key way is just a little slot.
And a "key" is put in there. Just a small piece of metal. The curved
part of the key way goes down into the shaft.
The key then sticks out and this is aligned with a slot in the timing chain gear on the cam shaft and the smaller gear on the cam shaft.
The bolt just holds it on.

You need to get the cam exactly aligned and the bottom gear aligned with marks.

Might be TDC cylinder #1.



Jake Thomas - YouTube

 

put the two rears on, one on the crank and the other on the cam, install the bolt in the crank and turn it until the marks on the gear line up.

 

Thanks all!
Please, keep throwing tips and videos at me.

I had to call out of work today, so I'm going to study this all day until I get it. I really think I'm doing something wrong... the bolt in the center of the upper gear seems to be on there solid, even though the RAVE says it's only 37lbs of pressure, and turning the engine using the bottom bolt to align the timing chain just turns it back (un-aligning it) when I try to remove the bolt again. Clearly, I'm missing something. I was ready to forget the chain, and close it back up, but there is some play in it, so I'd better change it while I'm in there.

Unfortunately, I may be dead in the water....I have no help until Saturday. So, if I need some extra muscle, I'm stuck until Saturday. Unless I manage do complete this on my own today, I'm going to have to rent a car for the week...Boo! Waiting for a payment to post to my cc to open up room to do so. I can't miss another day of work...

I appreciate all your help. I may understand this yet...

 

a silly question but are the plugs still in?

 

A probably equally "silly" answer...what/where are the "plugs"? I'm probably calling them something incorrect, or am completely clueless as to what they are...

 

I think drowssap is referring to the spark plugs. When I did this, I removed the spark plug for cylinder #1 so that you can verify the marks on the gears line up at TDC for cylinder #1. Having a spark plug removed allows some pressure to vent.

 

remove all the spark plugs that way you will not be fitting the engines compression

 

Doh!
Thank you!
No, I don't have spark plugs out.... didn't know.
I have a feeling my lack of basic knowledge is making this project much harder then it had to be.....

 

I WISH I were closer, I'd be happy to give a hand, but unfortunately, I'm far away. I'm a basic mechanic, but I've done this type of job before and might see something you are currently missing.

Are you trying to move the one gear to line up, but still have the chain installed? If the chain is on Both Gears, then turning one will turn the other. You must get the gears in line FIRST, then remove the gears to install the chain and replace the gears WITH the chain installed and aligned.

EDIT: As mentioned above, be SURE you are installing the KEY seen below circled in Red.