i have only my valve cover off and need to slip my timing chain backwards one tooth? whats the trick on doing this?

 

What makes you think that you are off a tooth?

 

I would say pull the top gear off and try to get it that way but you got to make sure the bottom link is lined up where it should be.

 

If you are on TDC/Compression stroke, and the camshaft alignment pin is a 12 o'clock, wouldn't that be set properly?

 

at tdcc the cam timing mark is at like 1 o clock. i have read that it needs to be at like 11-12 oclock but not quite 12

 

how hard is it to slip the cam gear off? im thinking of just pulling the timing cover and taking a bunch of slack off of it and make sure i put it on correct. Having a hard time determining which ones are shiny links on the chain according to the FSM. My problem is that im not sure how old this timing chain is but it certainly is a pain to see anything on these chain links, only thing i can identify really is "napa" on the links so that makes me think someone did it in the last 170000 miles lol.

 

If you have not gone into this engine and it ran fine for 170000 miles why do you think it just mysteriously jumped a tooth. I really doubt that it did.

 

i had a big complicated mess with my timing when i originally bought this truck and the cam timing gear was about 3 teeth off, took it to a mechanic and he re adjusted the cam gear but apparently its still 1 tooth from where it "should" be.

 

Well then the mechanic didn't do his job and you should take it back

 

At this point I wouldn't worry so much about the mark on the cam gear. These are for aligning the gears and the chain in a new installation. Since the drive gear and cam gears are at different ratios youll probably never actually see them lined back up after the initial install. Rotate your motor to TDC/Compression, 0 degrees, then look and see if the alignment spline on the cam shaft is at 12 o'clock,not 11. if it is not, then remove the Distributer, then the bolt that holds the cam gear on. better remember which way you want to move the gear before you pop it off! Best to mark it before. Move the cam shaft to the 12 o'clock position. Only move the gear in the direction that will get you to 12 o'clock.
Hope this helps.

 

ok. well my only concern is like the chain binding up when you rotate the cam gear but i guess 1 tooth is not enough to matter? Cause it is actually rotating the cam earlier in the stroke than it should which means valve timing is off as well as i believe timing on the distributor. So potentially it is interfering with a bunch of stuff.