Ok my first problem is:
I pulled the head off my 91 to replace the head gasket and when I did that I forgot about the rocker arms (i think thats what they are called) so when I pulled the head they all got mixed up. I started looking at them and noticed they had numbers on them 5,6,7,8,9 and a different number of each number. I need help figuring out where each ones goes.
Also when I pulled the head I was stupid and got into a hurry and forgot to set the block at TDC. So now I need to find TDC on the right stroke. Currently I have the motor set with piston 1 at TDC (using the screw driver in the spark plug hole) but how do I know if it’s the right stroke or does it matter? I looked at the crank pully and could not find the mark that supposed to align with the plastic cover anywhere on the pully.
I have access to a compression gauge if that will help.
Any advice would be great I know I messed this one up. I would like to get this car running today (if it will). Thank you
I pulled the cam shafts to get to the head bolts I am talking the things the cams hit to open the valves you adjust with a screw driver and wrench and I didn’t mean to pull these but during transit they came out
the single line thats seperated from the rest is the TDC mark.
Another way to make sure its a TDC is to take the spark plug out of the #1 cylinder and stick a rod, socket extension. chop stick, whatever in it and watch it as you turn the crank if the stick starts to go back down, Youve past it.
tell you what. to get to tdc, just take off the crank pulley and timing belt cover and line up the mark on the timing belt gear to the one on the oil pump. they are very obvious.
as far as the rocker arms go… damn, i had no idea that they could just fall out. colin? help!
Gil has got the right info regarding setting the crank to TDC. There are obvious marks on the gear and oil pump. The crank is not stroke dependent, so TDC is TDC. It’s only the cams which dictate whether you’re on the intake or exhaust side of things…
Not sure about the rocker arms, I’ve never removed mine when I had a non-vtec engine. I glanced through the Helms really quick (btw, you should be using this) and there was no mention of the need to keep them matched up to their original location. I wouldn’t worry about it at all. Just make sure intake and exhaust sides are the same. And YOU MUST DO A VALVE CLEARANCE ADJUSTMENT after you’re done!!
I am using a helms and when i went to do a valve clearance adjustment is when the issue came up cause I could not get one of my exhaust rocker arms to clearance correctly.
As far as TDC what tell the injector when to inject the fuel? is it crank position or what?
Thanks I will have to take another look and hopfully find TDC without pull the crank pulley.
I will have to see if I can figure out these rocker arms too. I will have to see if here is a difference between the exhaust and intake but i don’t think there is.
Do you have a timing belt cover on the engine (lower portion)? The mark on the cover should be very easy to see. Especially if you use a screwdriver in the cylinder to estimate TDC then look at the pulley and see where that single white line is. It should be almost perfectly lined up with a mark on the timing belt cover.
Here is a photo so that you can hopefully see the line on the cover. Now, when we say “line” we mean a bit of the plastic protrudes from the timing belt cover and points at the outer portion of the crank pulley when looking down at the crank pulley from above.
In this photo look at the plastic on the cover which points down at the single white line on my crank pulley (note, this is a modified crank pulley but that doesn’t change how you find TDC):
Yeah I have the lower plastic cover. Thank you for the picture when the weather turns nice again I will go look at it I don’t know why I am having such a trouble with this thing I have done this befor but it’s been a while.
Alright one more question. Went back out there verified TDC and TDC on cams. The exhaust cam will not gap with it at TDC I have to take it one tooth out so it will gap properly. What would cause this? If I rotate the intake came 1 tooth the same way it will not gap check. Any ideas? Will it hurt anything? I rotated the motor by hand 6 or 7 times and didn’t notice anything weird.
You can’t get your valves adjusted properly unless the the ex cam is moved one tooth?
Put it back at TDC for cams and crank. Are you sure you’re perfoming the adjustment on the right stroke? Are you sure the adusting nuts are backed off enough so you can fully adjust the rocker?
When you say “no gap” do you mean that the rocker is actually up against the cam no matter how much you back it off? Or do you mean you just can’t get the gap w/in specs.
Where are you getting your specs from? Are the cams stock? ANY other changes to the engine at all?
I’m pretty baffled, not sure why you wouldn’t be able to get it w/in spec unless something was significantly wrong. I haven’t worked on an LS motor in awhile though so maybe there’s somethign I’m just forgetting or neglecting to consider.
Are you using a Helms manual? You are confirming correct stroke by cam pulley orientation, correct?
