All,
I'm helping a friend work on his 87 22r engine. He just got his 22r Head back from the machine shop. He had to get the head straighten, milled, and a valve job.

Before we took the head off, we tried to get the engine to TDC. We took the spark plugs out, and turned the engine clockwise from the 19MM crank bolt. The engine would not turn completely around. I suspect maybe a really bent valve. The machine shop had to replace a couple due to them being bent.

So now we have the head off, with the cam sprocket zip-tied to the chain, and the whole sprocket assembly laying on the chain guards.

I want to make sure that the cam and the crank are properly lined up.

Cylinder number one is up on it's stroke, the crank is on zero at the timing mark on the timing cover, but the cam sprocket dimple is facing down. It looks like we are 180 degrees off.

I want to place the cam sprocket dimple up, where is should be, verify that cylinder number one is once again up on it's stroke, verify that the crank timing mark is again on the zero mark on the timing cover, but also verify that the shiny link on the timing chain is matched up with the cam sprocket dimple.

I was planning on placing a small pipe nipple in the cam sprocket with the head removed, then tie up the pipe along with the cam sprocket up with some rope, as to place the cam sprocket with tension, as I turn the crank slowly to line up everything.

I was even thinking about building some sort of jig, that I can use to hold the cam sprocket up to take the slack out of the chain, while I turn the crank and attempt to line everything up.

I'm trying to avoid taking the entire timing chain cover and components off, just to verify the timing marks. This would save me a bunch of time.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
larrys93pickup

 

Timing chain top gear should be at 12 o'clock(little before is were it should end up)
bottom one at 6 o'clock with the crank keyways at 12 o'clock turn the crank 360 degrees should get your timing mark at 0

 

OK

you can line every thing up at this point from scratch


you can just rotate the crank pulley to line up the links
and see if they are off and be sure everything is perfect anything more than a tooth off which is 10degrees will bend valves. they line up every 3 or 4 rotations dont really remember but it take a few rotation to find it. next time make sure you have TDC with the bright links in the chain lined up with the cam sproket sounds like your 180 right now.

if they never line up or if you want to check its true ness to the bottom link take the cam sproket off and pull the chain tight and you will find the top link in the chain, you will be able to line up the links and one will be flat at the top that is your top link. this method is used if the bottom gear skipped a tooth and you need to reset the links and without removing the timing cover

I woudl remove the timing cover if it off though to be sure bending valves twice sucks.

BTW its jsut a few bolts and new gaskets to remove the timing cover. no biggie get the rad out of way it will go real fast and easy.

 

make sure its right! timing is critical

 

Good for you trying to make sure things are fine.

Loosen all the rocker arms so that no matter what, there ain't going to be a valve open.

After that, should be no problem rotating the crank and cam in to position.