worried about setting cam timing on new motor
 

it's a bit of a long story, but i bought a BP from a local to swap into my 93. The motor is from a protege. the guy had turbocharged the motor and blown it up, and when i bought it, it was in pieces.

i had the motor rebuilt at a local machine shop with forged internals, and had the bottom end assembled there as well. i recently bolted the head on the motor, and want to get it timed, but i have a small problem.

for some reason or another, the plate that bolts to the motor with the timing marks on it has been cut in half, and i only have the top part. i called the guy that sold me the motor and asked him about it, and of course he doesnt have the rest of it. he told me the timing marks on the cam gears are supposed to line up with the marks on the top part of the plate, but theyre at 12:00. i'm afraid thats not right. the timing marks on the miata are at ~4 and ~8 o'clock.


how am i going to get this thing timed right?!

You CAN use the double 12 oclock marks...but make sure and hand turn the motor a few times to make sure it's on...mainly that you don't end up with too many teeth between crank and exhaust gear.

Use the 12 o'clock marks. E on the exhaust and I on the intake.

--Ferdi

awesome, thanks guys!

Just keep referring to the write-up photos on the m.net garage, and quadruple check it.

If it doesn't look right/count right keep pulling it off.

Main thing is to work belt counterclockwise starting at crank, eg:

crank>exhaust gear>intake gear>tensioner

This will make life easier, but still turn it a few time and make sure you're hitting all three marks with 19 teeth still between the gears.

just so i'm clear....

line up timing marks
put belt on
turn the motor over a few times then verify the marks are still lined up
count teeth
???
profit

yes

The cam gears will NOT like to stay in place...either put a wrench on each one at opposing 45* angles with vice clamps holding them together, or be even more awesome and zip tie the belt to the gear when you get one right.

thanks for all the advice.

i posted this on miata.net and got nothing

Should have titled the thread "rare wood-rim steering wheel found in trunk"

:bowrofl::bowrofl:

I lol'd a little!