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Timing Problem

D

DyComet

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Messages
526
Location
Cincinnati, Ohio
Should the timing marks line up again after one full rotation of the chain or does it take quite a few? I counted the links between the marks and they lined up, then I turned it a couple times around and none of the times did it time up again properly.
 
on my build i lined them up and counted the links, and after like 8 turns they didnt line up either. its kind of like a big gear a a small gear. the big one wont line up with the small one unless it turns a whole lot more than the other one. sorry if thats confusing. but its fine. if it becomes hard at all to turn stop!!!!! you have it timed wrong and the valves are hitting!!!!
 
Alright so it takes forever for them to line up again. Good to know. I turned it probably 6 full times around and they never lined up. I retimed it again and I'll take pictures of it so I can be sure that it's right.
 
Timing w/pics

Timing w/pics

Here are some pictures...
timing006.jpg

Right head...
timing003.jpg

Left head...
timing001.jpg

Crank...
timing005.jpg

Also, I couldn't find the other 2.5 tensioner so I temporarily put the 3L tensioner on there. Would it be possible for me to use this one or should I go and buy a new 2.5?
timing007.jpg

Let me know if I messed it up...
 
As long as you correctly matched them via the Ford CD, you shouldn't have a problem. (ie. You match the one chain and cams, then turn the crank like 90/100 degrees then do the other head.) As long as you did it as the Ford CD says, you should be fine.
 
Do not interchange tensioners. There has been much discussion on this in the past few years but just not recently. Try some searching on the old forums for chains or pitch. There was a major change in the chains around mid model year 2000. All components changed. You need to keep like components together.
 
All the chains and guides are for the 2.5 I just used the tensioner from the 3L. I'll go out and buy the 2.5 tensioner before I put it all back together.
 
DyComet said:
All the chains and guides are for the 2.5 I just used the tensioner from the 3L. I'll go out and buy the 2.5 tensioner before I put it all back together.
Click to expand...

I used 1 tensioner from the 2.5 and 1 from the 3L because I broke one of them. My returded self couldn't figure out how to compress the whole unit. Then when I figured it out i was hitting myself with the broken one.
 
Yes the #1 cylinder needs to be at TDC (like most engine unless it's an old tractor or something). The crank needs to be at the 11 oclock position.

The timing chains will not line up until three hundred and some odd turns IIRC.

The 2.5 or 3l tensioner will be okay. Last time I used the 3l and this time I used one of the 2.5s because I lost one. I dunno where the debate comes from on this...

BTW do NOT turn the crank backwards after you have installed the chains and pulled the pins on the tensioner (s).
 
Yeah the crank is at 11 o'clock so the thing is timed and ready to go. I'm going to stick with the 3L tensioner because I guess I'm retarded and I lose stuff when I walk away for five minutes. Oh well, time to wait for the rest of the gaskets.
 
DyComet said:
Yeah the crank is at 11 o'clock so the thing is timed and ready to go. I'm going to stick with the 3L tensioner because I guess I'm retarded and I lose stuff when I walk away for five minutes. Oh well, time to wait for the rest of the gaskets.
Click to expand...

What gaskets do you need? I have an assload of 3l gaskets I'll sell for cheap.
 
The only two I really need are the valve cover gaskets and the timing cover gaskets then I'll be good to go for putting most of this back together.
 
giddyup306 said:
The 2.5 or 3l tensioner will be okay. Last time I used the 3l and this time I used one of the 2.5s because I lost one. I dunno where the debate comes from on this...
Click to expand...
The debate comes from the fact that all parts changed when the timing chain pitch changed from 3/8in to 8mm back in mid model year 2000. To this day, the service strategy recommended by engine engineering is to maintain the separate parts for the different chain drive styles. Believe me, if they could have commonized to one tensioner, they would have. Service does not like to stock extra parts and Borg Warner sure as hell would not keep making an old tensioner that was no longer necessary.

If you want to go ahead and use the wrong tensioner because you think you know more than the folks at Ford Engine Engineering and Borg Warner than go ahead...but you do so at your own risk.
 
procyon said:
If you want to go ahead and use the wrong tensioner because you think you know more than the folks at Ford Engine Engineering and Borg Warner than go ahead...but you do so at your own risk.
Click to expand...

You'll be the first to know when I blow up my 3l. :p


Seriously these guys are book smart and field dumb (engineers).


But seriously thanks for the info (as to the dabate).

Mike
 
Yeah unless I happen to find the 2.5 tensioner I'm not going to use it. I just don't see what types of things can go wrong.
 
giddyup306 said:
Seriously these guys are book smart and field dumb (engineers).

But seriously thanks for the info (as to the dabate).
Click to expand...
I'm just going to assume that you're generalization does not include some of the engineers who participate in this forum, including myself.
 
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