I want to take this timing case off and make more progress on the swap but i want to make sure this is at TDC. The line up thing has me a little skeptical as far as turning the engine and lining up these marks. How do i know its good enough?
Also, cams above #1 and #4 dont seem to point directly at each other, they are pointed a little upwards on number 1 and a little downwards on 4. here's some pics.
#1 cam lobes

#4 cam lobes


pulley/water pump mark

 

I never checked the cams off of the 3.0 when I removed the engine but the markings should align on the cam gears and chain
Crank:
rear cam:
front cam:

I think removing the timing case to check TDC would be a whole lot easier because of the markings. Once they line up, just check cyl 1 to make sure the piston is all the way up.

 

open up the case chillion and check the chain links also. that is a good indicator as well.


It looks like TDC, I would rotate the pully a few hairs more, but open up the case, you'll get a more definitive answer then.

 

alright will do that tomorrow then. thanks!

oh yeah, so i need to take off the crank pull off, wouldnt this turn the engine? i mean i have air tools but im just being cautious here. I only need to take off the perimeter bolts on teh case right? not each individual sub-case like for the water pump and what not, right?

 

all you'd need is a hand tool and a 17mm socket, put it over the cam bolt and turn it that way (brake bar helps to make your turns smoother).

Timing case is all the bolts, crank pulley has to come off, plus the oil pan and two 12mm bolts have to come off in order to free the timing case. I almost forgot about those bolts and had the devils own job trying to get the timing case off.

 

We actually cracked the outer timing case because we didnt take those bolts off, but I had my friend weld and machine it... So DONT forget about them chillin014.

 

When I removed the crank pulley on my friends motor, I just clamped a C clamp through where the starter would go onto the flexplate to keep it from turning.

 

Even if it does turn, you can always put it back to TDC. Just put the bolt back in w/o the crank pulley and turn it with a breaker bar or 1/2 rachet, and align the markings.

 

That's the way to do it conveniently, good call, props to 915max.

-Peter-

 

cool, i appreciate all the help. i'm gonna mess with it later, i gotta do some other things first and take a nap been up since 5 am.
i'll report back

 

915 is that of the 3.0 engines timing equipment? I have hte 3.5 im working on right now. There are yellow links and an orange one i think....how do i know its at TDC with the 3.5

 

1) on the 3.5 you can line up the marks on the waterpump cover to the crank pulley.
or 2)When you pull off the timing cover you will see another mark behind the crank pulley. Take the crank pulley off and the key/slot should line up with a marking around it.
or 3) stick a long screwdrive in cylinder #1 and turn the crank pulley till the screwdriver is at the highest point.

 

The pictures I posted are when I put the 3.0 timing equipment onto the 3.5

To set the 3.5 to TDC, there are also markings on the gears and chain... on mine, the gear had a beige/tan mark on it and so did the chain.

I'm not sure if all 3.5's are marked the same color but check the timing chain.
There should be three links that are a different color, two should be the same color. The two that are the same color are the ones that should line up to the cam gears, and the other to the marking on the crank.

If its hard to tell, get yourself some brake cleaner and spray the chain. It should make it easier.

 

there are markings but the never seem to line up with the colored links, it'll be off by like a link or 2

 

It will eventually line up to the markings. When I did TDC for the 3.0, it took me about 6 or 7 times for me to turn the crank until it was set. I was fortunate enough with the 3.5 that I only had to turn it once.
I wish I still had the pictures to show you on the markings for the 3.5

Download the fsm from Jime's webpage. It'll show you anything you need to know and it'll come in handy for anything you may come across.

 

yeah i was curious as to what the corelation was between how many turns of the crank and the full stroke of the piston. Im just trying to understand exactly whats goin on.
didnt see the fsm on jime's webpage. but maybe its on phatg20

 

didnt find anything related to timing equipment in the FSM. I've currently got the links lined up i think, im going to take some pictures to confirm if i've got it at TDC.



i can turn the crank and all of these will be be lined up for a good half a turn, so now i dont know exactly where to turn it to. if i put the lower link at 6'o clock the cams do not point towards each other. how i have the pictures of the links location in these pictures is what keeps the cams how they were in the pictures i showed previously.

 

You can find the FSM here: http://jime.homeip.net/files/FSM/

 

thanks 915, i ended up getting it from phatg20 the first time didnt work right when i tried it for some reason. anyway, the fsm is still slightly vague, or maybe im being too critical. i just dont know how precise this needs to be. I am going to try to put the case and pulley back on loosely to see if it lines up, because like i said, the links line up but they stay lined up within like a good half a turn of the crank.

 

As long as the markings on each gear and chain line up, and cylinder 1 piston is at the very top, its at TDC.

 

yall keep saying "if piston 1 is at the top" i cant see the piston though.

 

Get a flashlight and look down the chamber.... you'll see the top of the piston.

Or you could do what abci30 said: stick a long screwdriver(orsomething that fits in there) and turn the crank until the screwdriver is at its highest point.

 

any got a pic how the cam gears suppose to look with it at tdc???

 

2nd post where pictures of the cam gears at tdc.

 

The pictures that chillin posted look correct(TDC), but its best to double check cylinder one and make sure the piston is at the very top.

 

once the timing case is off. Look at the crank to see that its aligned for TDC.

not the greatest pic but you get the idea (hopefully)

 

Thank you mdeezy that's what I needed to see. I don't want to be screwdriver guessing this stuff. I need another mark to go by. So that line has to be vertical? Why didn't you tell me this before!

 

no prob. I thought I told you about it before but pictures always help a great deal. the pic is blurry but on the oil pump is a vertial like like " \" and you'll line up the notch on the end of the crank with that line. That indicated TDC on cyl#1.

 

I forgot about that... I remember reading it on the fsm when I was doing it,the crank points towards cyl 1.