Why can't I set my cam sensor right?

[Crazi]

I am just about done putting everything on the engine but it seems to have a mind of its own. When I pull the spark plug on #1 and try to go to tdc, it blows air long before the crank says tdc. I was confused and pulled the number two cylinder as well to see where that was when the crank said tdc and it was at tdc.

Am I missing something? The crank balancer only goes on one way right? it was keyed and I put it on correctly I assume but this is new to me. Any ideas??? Should I just mark the balancer where tdc is now??

Actually that doesn't sound like a bad idea...I'll do that tomorrow but please post any ideas as to why this is happening. Thanks

 

[RossGN]

Crazi

I went through a similar situation on my SD455. I kept setting the timing correctly with timing light and the car would barely run. I even took the front cover off to make sure the builder set the gears correctly. Apparently, the outer ring of the balancer had slipped and the timing mark was no where near correct. Went to the parts store, plopped down a bill for a new balancer....set the timing on the mark....perfect! I had wrestled with the problem for 2 weeks b4 i figured it out (with help form the Pontiac board of course)

 

[FJM568]

The problem with that theory on the turbo Buick balancer is that there is no outer ring...It is solid...

BTW, it will blow air long before the piston reaches tdc because that is what it's supposed to do...The piston rising in the cylinder is "pushing" air...When it starts to push air, put a long skinny object(like a long screwdriver or a really long quarter inch drive extension into the sparkplug hole so that the piston will push it back out...When the object gets to the point where it stops coming up and just starts to go back down again, look at the mark on the balancer...It should be "relatively" close to being at 0 on the pointer...An easy way to find the 25 degree ATDC position for cyl #1 to be in to set the cam sensor, is with the mark on the balancer lined up with the 0 on the pointer, make a mark on the balancer even with the 20 deg mark on the pointer...Now rotate the crand so that the mark that you made at the 20 deg point is now even with the 0 on the pointer...You are now at 20 deg ATDC...You need another 5 deg, so make another mark on the balancer in line with the 5 deg point on the pointer...Now continue rotating the crank over until that second mark you made on the balancer lines up with the 0 pointer on the timing pointer...Congratulations, you have reached 25 deg ATDC...Now finish setting your cam sensor...You are finished...Thank you for playing...

Hope this helps and didn't confuse you too much...

 

[Chyke]

FJM, I agree completely, but to make it even more idiot proof, check out GNTYPE.com. There is an example using a volt meter which works very well and is very accurate.

 

[Crazi]

The simple things

Uhhh guys..... I am looking at the wrong cylinder. I just got off the phone with Jack Merkel and I have my plug wires on the wrong side. 135 are on the drivers side and 246 are on the passenger side

DUUUUHHHH!!!!!!!!

Sorry about that.