I’ve been doing distributor maintenance and the car is running, but I’d rather get things right and not burn my exhaust valves. 20 years of Wisconsin and Iowa have claimed the red and white paint marks on my crankshaft pulley. I’ve bumped the engine a with the starter, checked with a flashlight above and below the car - I’m pretty sure they’re history.
I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this before I write it - take the valve cover off and advance the engine to TDC using other components to keep track of alignment. Once a known reference has been established, everything else falls into place. (Or spend extra time at work to earn money and pay someone else who has the tools…)
I don’t have a 34 mm socket to move things or a 130 ft/lb torque wrench to clean up when I’m done, so I’d rather not play with parts of the engine that I can’t put back together.
I do have various electronics that can tell me things like when the distributor thinks the engine is at TDC:
(CYP and TDC sensors from the distributor)
If I add a trace for spark #1 and know the engine speed I should be able to set the spark wherever I want in relation to the TDC sensor.
Flaws with the plan
engine speed isn’t fixed, it’ll be hard to track a moving target without a better oscillocope
play in the camshaft/distributor link can (will?) compromise the results
Who’s to say that the drive key in the camshaft is right in the first place? The distributor rotates for a reason.
Anyone else have creative ideas to solve the problem?
Replace the pulley?
I think your making this way more complicated then it is. Those marks are used to set ignition timing with a timing light. It has nothing to do with taking off the valve cover off. I think I see where your going with the TDC sensor but it sounds easily inaccurate. If all you need to do is set the ignition timing then have you tryed using a timing light? Other people may chime in here but I think that there are actually very small notches in the pulley where the paint marks are. If you use a timing light you should be able to identify the notches even if there is not much paint left. If that doesn’t work, I would just grab a used pulley from a local auto wrecker. Don’t forget to jump the service connector when setting the timing.
I’ve got a timing light, there’s nothing to see. (sad) One little rusty pit looks like any other. I’ve had some sense talked into me by a mechanic, moving the engine isn’t as traumatic to the pulley bolt as the manual makes it sound. I don’t know why I thought I needed a 34mm socket, 3/4" seems like a pretty good fit. I’ve got the distributor off* right now, I’ll find TDC#1 tomorrow morning by pulling the spark plug and using a “precision measuring device.”
*Mostly to go after the ICM/igniter, tachometer and cruise don’t work, I’ll have to check the clutch pedal shim too. It never stops, does it? The “You know you drive an Integra when…” thread was pretty depressing.
The crank pulley is rotated with a 19mm socket, not sure why you thought you could use a standard size socket on a Japanese car.
The marks aren’t gone, only the paint is, there are still physical grooves cut into the crank pulley. In your case you may need to do some good cleaning to be able to see them. But you can easily get in the ballpark by removing the #1 spark plug and inserting a long screwdriver into the hole so that it contacts the top of the piston. Rotate the crank pulley with a 19mm socket and watch the screwdriver, when it reaches it’s highest point and then begins to come back down you’ve just passed TDC for cyl #1. At this point your crank pulley marks should line up w/ the line on your timing belt cover.
Not the best photo in the world, but you can see that w/ my modified crank pulley I used some paint to make the markings clear again:
That’s the plan so far - I’ve got my fingers crossed that with an alternate TDC reference the other marks will be easy to locate. I’m using a 3/4" because I don’t have a 19mm. (3/4" = 19.05mm, I think it’ll be okay for today.)
[QUOTE=Colin;2184985]
The marks aren’t gone, only the paint is, there are still physical grooves cut into the crank pulley.[/QUOTE]
Seconded. Look very closely at the pulley, preferably with a flashlight so you can see the contours better, and find the grooves. Then apply some paint (I used a paint pen) and wipe off the excess with a rag. If you do it right some paint will remain in the groove.
