17-12-15, 12:32 AM
8mm at the crank is not as bad as 8mm on the cams (it's a bigger diameter) I guess that's a tooth out. I doubt the pistons would have hit the valves though, With the plugs out you can turn the engine over by hand, so should have checked that!
You have my sympathy though, it's a pig of a job even with the engine out! I couldn't see how you get the front camchain guide out with the engine in the frame.
Nightmare job, The cams only want to go in and out if they are square, you have 12 cam holder screws to tighten down evenly, and torque, everything is fighting you, you try and skip one tooth on the cam and it jumps 2 or 3 and you have to start again. The cams naturally want to sit 5degree outwards from each other due to the cam profile against the valve springs.
You have to line up the crank, then get the front cam on the right tooth so that when it's tightened down and the cam guide is in the place they are both in sync. Then get the rear cam in the right place (count the links between the cams) so when that is tightened down it is synced with the front cam. Then put the top chain cover on and install the chain tensioner without anything moving.
Check, run the engine through a few cycles by hand, check again. Everything should line up. If not. Start again.
The guides prevent the chain jumping teeth as they force the chain on to the sprockets. But when the cam chain tensioner is out I think the crank can skip teeth when turned by hand but only in one direction.
Haynes manual says to lube all the cam bearing surfaces with molybdenum grease, but I'm sure this now causes my clutch to slip!
Can you tell I have relived this nightmare in my head a few times?
You have my sympathy though, it's a pig of a job even with the engine out! I couldn't see how you get the front camchain guide out with the engine in the frame.
Nightmare job, The cams only want to go in and out if they are square, you have 12 cam holder screws to tighten down evenly, and torque, everything is fighting you, you try and skip one tooth on the cam and it jumps 2 or 3 and you have to start again. The cams naturally want to sit 5degree outwards from each other due to the cam profile against the valve springs.
You have to line up the crank, then get the front cam on the right tooth so that when it's tightened down and the cam guide is in the place they are both in sync. Then get the rear cam in the right place (count the links between the cams) so when that is tightened down it is synced with the front cam. Then put the top chain cover on and install the chain tensioner without anything moving.
Check, run the engine through a few cycles by hand, check again. Everything should line up. If not. Start again.
The guides prevent the chain jumping teeth as they force the chain on to the sprockets. But when the cam chain tensioner is out I think the crank can skip teeth when turned by hand but only in one direction.
Haynes manual says to lube all the cam bearing surfaces with molybdenum grease, but I'm sure this now causes my clutch to slip!
Can you tell I have relived this nightmare in my head a few times?
-suck-squeeze-bang-blow-