# serious timing issues!!!



## scafidipro (Jan 26, 2005)

I need everyone's help one this one! I have an '89 dodge raider V6 that i got basically for free with a blown engine. I just got the whole engine rebuilt at a machine shop and put it all back together myself. Everything was correctly assembled (or so i thought) but it still won't start. I have all the timing marks set up right. The only thing is we pulled the right side valve cover off to check for TDC and it is totally off. The only way we can get the valves to line up with the pistons on the proper strokes is to have the cam timing marks totally mis-aligned. These are the factory timing marks that we are talking about so i don't know what i could be doing wrong. A mobile mechanic that came out said it could be the wrong cams all together that were installed by accident. Any suggestions or any advice for adjusting the timing would be greatly appreciated! Is there any way that the mechanic could have put the cams in backwards??? Or on the wrong sides maybe?


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## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

If anything this should be posted in the General Section. 

Just because you own a Z32 TT doesn't mean your Dodge gets the same rights


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

scafidipro said:


> I need everyone's help one this one! I have an '89 dodge raider V6 that i got basically for free with a blown engine. I just got the whole engine rebuilt at a machine shop and put it all back together myself. Everything was correctly assembled (or so i thought) but it still won't start. I have all the timing marks set up right. The only thing is we pulled the right side valve cover off to check for TDC and it is totally off. The only way we can get the valves to line up with the pistons on the proper strokes is to have the cam timing marks totally mis-aligned. These are the factory timing marks that we are talking about so i don't know what i could be doing wrong. A mobile mechanic that came out said it could be the wrong cams all together that were installed by accident. Any suggestions or any advice for adjusting the timing would be greatly appreciated! Is there any way that the mechanic could have put the cams in backwards??? Or on the wrong sides maybe?


Make sure the cam gears didn't get switched to the opposite sides. That happens a lot at shops. This is an OHC engine we're talkign about, right?


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## scafidipro (Jan 26, 2005)

♣Zen31ZR♣ said:


> Make sure the cam gears didn't get switched to the opposite sides. That happens a lot at shops. This is an OHC engine we're talkign about, right?


Yeah, overhead cams. One cam per head. The cam gears are on the correct sides i think. One cam has an "L" and one cam has an "R" on it. Right now i have the "R" cam on the passenger side of the engine and the "L" cam on the driver's side. That should be right... Right? I am tearing the rest of the intake off tomorrow to take the left valve cover off. I guess i am just going to time it by hand with a coat hanger to feel for the pistons or something. I really, really, really don't want to pull the heads again! Just so I'm not wasting my time can anyone explain in detail what all the valves will look like on each side of the motor in detail? pistons 1,3,5 are on the passenger side and pistons 2,4,6 are on the driver's side. The firing order for this engine is 1,2,3,4,5,6. So i just need to make sure that when it is set at TDC what the cams should look like on each side of the engine. I'm pretty sure the cams on piston 1 should be closed but what about the other side? for piston 2 for example? Any insight is appreciated! Thanks in advance!


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

scafidipro said:


> Yeah, overhead cams. One cam per head. The cam gears are on the correct sides i think. One cam has an "L" and one cam has an "R" on it. Right now i have the "R" cam on the passenger side of the engine and the "L" cam on the driver's side. That should be right... Right?


 As far as I know, looking at the front of the engine, the _L_ side should be on the left and the _R_ side should be on the right. That's how it is on my Z, as I recall. Try swapping the cam gears out and see if you can get them lined up properly.....

You _sure_ the firing order is _123456_ ? Usually it's something odd, like 136254 or something like that......


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## scafidipro (Jan 26, 2005)

*ASE certified - "almost stupid enough"*



♣Zen31ZR♣ said:


> As far as I know, looking at the front of the engine, the _L_ side should be on the left and the _R_ side should be on the right. That's how it is on my Z, as I recall. Try swapping the cam gears out and see if you can get them lined up properly.....
> 
> You _sure_ the firing order is _123456_ ? Usually it's something odd, like 136254 or something like that......


I got it figured out. I guess the problem was that i am a complete IDIOT! It turns out there is this little tiny key that i forgot to put on the crank gear. so it wasn't lining up with the key way on the crank shaft. I didn't realize what it was for because this is the first time i have pulled a motor or anything and when i took it to the shop it was the only piece that i didn't dis-assemble myself... So anyway. Put the key in. lined up the timing marks. fired right up. I was so pissed that, that was it!!! I spent $300 on a stupid mobile mechanic and he didn't do shit! I figured it out myself! So after ripping the whole top end of the motor apart it turns out all i had to do was pull the crank pulley and insert the crank key!!! It started right up after that. Thanks for the advice though!


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

scafidipro said:


> I got it figured out. I guess the problem was that i am a complete IDIOT! It turns out there is this little tiny key that i forgot to put on the crank gear. so it wasn't lining up with the key way on the crank shaft. I didn't realize what it was for because this is the first time i have pulled a motor or anything and when i took it to the shop it was the only piece that i didn't dis-assemble myself... So anyway. Put the key in. lined up the timing marks. fired right up. I was so pissed that, that was it!!! I spent $300 on a stupid mobile mechanic and he didn't do shit! I figured it out myself! So after ripping the whole top end of the motor apart it turns out all i had to do was pull the crank pulley and insert the crank key!!! It started right up after that. Thanks for the advice though!


Good job, glad it runs for you. :cheers: Something like the problem you had is not as obvious, though, most times it's something else. I probably would have been scratching my head, too.


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