[V8] Timing Belt Question for the pros........

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

Pros?  I'm no pro, but have a lot of BTDT, hope that's a qualifier...  

Comments inserted....
In a message dated 12/6/2003 1:53:19 AM Central Standard Time, 
lorberg at adelphia.net writes:
>I am doing a TB on '90Q for the 1st time.....not a 5 hour job.  This is a 
question for the pros >at doing the TB:
My average on a TB for a v8 settles somewhere between 10-12 hours.  That's a 
chicago "salt" time, but 10 hours solo is moving very quickly IMO.  

>Upon removing old TB, I lined up crank TDC proper.  Dist. rotors both 
pointing toward >notches.  Removed distributors and attempted to secure locating 
flange whose pins were >both sitting nicely, EXCEPT that the dist. mounting bolts 
could not be secured because >both flanges were approx. 10 deg. off.........I 
moved the crank CW (facing engine) about 10 >degrees and presto...........the 
bolts on the distributors went in.  

I don't use the tool myself.  For a better idea of what's happening, pull off 
the valve covers and ck the cam dots to the cam jounals.  What you might find 
is that the cam chain (between intake and exhaust cams) has stretched.  Then 
a decision has to be made...  Pulling cams isn't cakewalk either.

>Does this discrepancy mean that the timing as it was originally set up was 
wrong?  Car >was running well.  
No, see above.

>I'm not sure what to think...........I thought that the cams had to be 
locked in to 0 degrees >when the crank was at TDC as well   Could this car have run 
reasonably with such as a >discrepancy?

I think so.  

>I plan on setting up the TB so that the crank is at TIC and the flanges 
(3199) are sitting >snug and secure using the dist. mounting bolts AND the holes 
provided on the flanges and >dist. housing.

I'd do this.  Pull the cam covers off, then install 3199.  Ck the dots on the 
cams to see if they line up correctly.  If they do, you are fine.  If they 
don't, you have a choice.

HTH

Scott Justusson
QSHIPQ Performance Tuning
'91 v8 auto
'84 RS2URQ Project
'83 URQ