Hi all. Changed cam, engine oil pump, crank seals, water pump and cambelt. Putting everything together, unfortunately noticed cam and crank no longer in sync. Not sure how it happened, probably when I was replacing cam seal. Obviously I need to remove lower cambelt cover, harmonic balancer, cam belt and reset. As regards the crank this is just a case of rotating clockwise so it lines up with the zero. What about the cam though, obviously this controls the valves and I need to makes sure I have TDC at the compression! stroke, i.e. with the valves closed, also checking the hole in the cam sprocket lines up with the notch on the cam bearing. Can anyone advise the easiest way to determine I have TDC exhaust? For info it's a 5sfe engine, non interference. Thanks in advance!
Thanks, sorted it. I removed cambelt from cam sprocket and rotated crank to zero setting. Cam was more or less there anyway and hadn't really moved it was the crank I noticed that was a little off probably from movement when I was setting the belt. Belt on there nicely, rotated a couple of times and stays in time. I think I end up overthinking things sometimes, lol.
Well done.
Pull the number on cylinder spark plug. Get a long, thin wooden dowel and put it down the hole. Turn the crank slowly clockwise until the dowel stops moving up. Look at the balancer for the TDC marks. If they line up with the mark, you're at TDC. If not, you're 180 degrees out. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.
I understand that but how to I sync timing with the cam so the raised piston at number 1 coincides with the valves being closed on the compression stroke as indicated by the markings on the cam sprocket. Obviously the cam dictates the position of the valves, I could line up the crank and cam markings and be 180 out. Maybe I am misunderstanding how the crank and cam work together?!
Look and feel the rocker arms for number one cylinder. If at TDC, they will have some play.
Look for the dimple on the cam sprocket. If it's at the 12 o'clock position, it's on #1 cylinder. So with your balance marks lined up and you cam sprocket dimple close to 12 o'clock, you should be there.
It's OK to over think it. After all, you don't want to destroy your engine.
Yep definitely true, thankfully the Celica engine is non interference so less likely to damage anything so decided to have a go at it. My Sequoia however is interference, when I had the cam belt replaced in that last summer I paid a professional mechanic.