Hello all!

having an issue with the timing chain as the title states. I go through line up the cams and gears and chain links to appropriate marks, put those chains on hit the tensioners and done. Next I install the main chain and line those marks up but here’s the problem… no matter what I do and after 3 attempts I can’t keep the crankshaft keyway lined up with the mark on the oil pump!!!! It’s a tooth off it seems, but the orange link is on the crank sprocket. Please help!!!! Also attached will be pics of what I’m looking at thank you!

 

Do you have main timing chain slack between the two cam shaft cog gears that you can take out?

Maybe elaborate on this? Im not understanding the keyway lining up on the oil pump mark? And if I am, I dont think the oil pump mark has much significance other than thats ‘about’ where the keyway needs to point to get cylinder #1 at TDC. As long as your timing chain marks stay on their respective marks on each cog-gear I think you’re fine.

Picture didnt go through?

Can I assume that your keyway square lock is in place? I know it’s a dumb question but I reviewed an engine build for a buddy and he did not have this in place and it would have grenaded the engine on first start.

 

There was some slack at the top of the main chain but the upper guide seems to have sinched that up. As for the keyway I’m assuming you mean on the crank sprocket and yes it is properly seated and set onto the keyway.

 

I was under the impression that the keyway needed to be lined up with that notch on the Oil pump but then again maybe that’s why I didn’t see any reference to it in the FSM. I just want to be sure before I close this thing up. I appreciate the input!

 

Great pictures -

I dont think it has to be lined up 100% of the time as long as your timing chain marks are falling on the respective dots and ovals.

I dont recall ever using that oil pump mark other than to get close / close-enough to cylinder 1 TDC. I always used a thicker (3/16”) piece of welding fillter rod to draw that straight line from the center of the crankshaft (shaft) to the spark plug tubes.

It seems I’ve always had a small amount of slack in the timing chain between the camshaft cogs and after I get the timing chains in place I would rotate the intake & exhaust on bank two to remove that slack, carry it down to the water pump, around to the crank shaft and then up into the primary tensioner and that’s where it’d get soaked up.

 

and what about the timing cover and the crankshaft polie marks? are they correct?