M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: beemer1 on March 14, 2009, 04:45:14 PM
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Hi guys, I'm fairly new hear and have been reading as much as I can so I don't have to post redundant questions. But I'm stuck and need some advice =( I have 179,000 on the clock and 2 weeks ago I hit a NASTY pot hole which made the chain guides shatter. My car sounded like a diesel truck LOL! I replaced the chain tensioner about 2,000 miles ago so I knew it couldn't be that. When I dropped the oil pan I found large metal fragments from the chain guides.
So to make a long story short, I'm in the middle of replacing the timing chain and have all the timing covers off including the upper and lower intakes (which is another plumbing nightmare!). Before I take off the chain, I put the cam locking tool on the back of the cams and the exhaust cam is off (the cam locking tool is not sitting flush against the head, only on the exhaust side). I'm thinking that pieces of the chain guide some how made the chain slip and caused the engine to be out of time. Now my question is how do I align the cams? Do I loosen the cam sprockets and line it up that way? Thoughts???
Here is a pic of the cam locking tool sitting unevenly
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3614/3353480695_f4ed9692ef_m.jpg)
Do the sprockets look like they should with the way they are adjusted?
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3474/3353479529_9925d41b79_m.jpg)
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Is the crank at TDC for Cyl 1? IS the locking pin inserted to lock the flywheel in place?
Make sure that is done, then you can proceed. So you have not taken off the cam gears at all? Your intake cam gear is out of position, the bolts should be in the center of the holes.
Before touching anything you should have perfect timing already unless the cam slipped.
You can undo the cam gears and pull them off and then align the cams just right. On the install you'll have to be careful to get it all in the right spot and locked in.
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When the crank is at TDC for cylinder 1 with lock pin in place, take the chain off. then using a open-ended spanner rotate the exhaust camshaft in the direction required to lock it down using the cam-tool. (There is square piece in the middle of the camshaft that allows for this rotation). Then once you have the exhaust cam corrected, lock the cams in place, undo the intake sprocket and fix the position of the bolts, (meaning center them in the holes). Now that you're timing is correct, you can proceed with the rest of the job.
Note: the cam sprockets have an arrow which must point up in conjunction with the head surface - remember the head is on an angle so when you are looking at the cams they should like this: http://www.esatclear.ie/~bpurcell/camgearmark.jpg
Also the lobes both cams for cylinder 1 should be pointing in towards each other like this:
http://www.esatclear.ie/~bpurcell/tdccamsup.jpg
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Does this look about right?
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/3353480319_d42c42e4c9.jpg?v=0)
Another thing, how do you guys clean this thick nasty carbon deposit in the lower intake? Seafoam and toothbrush??? Getting this stuff off is tough.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/3354303864_12deb6ac57_m.jpg)
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lots of paper towels, and tb cleaner.
thats what i used.
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My exhaust cam was also off. I just loosened the bolts at the sprocket and used a wrench on the square on the end to very gently rotate the camshaft until it was properly squared. I used a ruler as a guide. You can see some pictures in my profile thread (link in my sig). Be careful though since I don't know if that is the proper procedure - but it worked out great for me. I had the flywheel locked in place before undoing any of my timing stuff.
I used camp fuel as a degreaser to clean out my intake manifold - but mine was off the car at the time.
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Thanks guys for the input:D How do you know if you are at TDC on the compression stroke?
So basically I have to:
1. Lock flywheel at TDC
2. Remove chain
3. Adjust the exhaust cam so the cam locking tool sits flush with the intake cam
4. Adjust the intake cam sprocket so sprocket is centered
5. Then put everything back together
Can someone please confirm this, as you can see this is not my day job:o
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:confused:
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spammer :@:@:@
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yes
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Nice thank you gents ;) I wont have a chance to get to it until thursday but I'll let you guys know how it went.
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Thank you guys for the help, the job went well and the engine is strong like bull :D I deleted those shitty hoses under the intake and now all is well except for the damn idle problem! I was convinced it was from a vacuum leak but me thinks its the ICV. I've been cleaning it for the last 5 years and I'm getting tired of doing it, should I just buy a new one?
Thanks again guys!
Steve
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Yeah just buy a new one, mine was so bad it kept stalling on me. About $170 from Pelican Parts.
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$170 for that piece of feces?! WOW! There has got to be a cheaper route.
Also, do you think spark plug wires could cause idle problems? I bought 8mm performance wires many moons ago and when I inspected them there were cracks in them from the way I installed them:o The wires didnt fit into the original harness so I zip tied them to it instead. After years of driving the hard plastic dug into the wires and I may be getting some arcing. I dont always have an idle problem as it comes and goes so what say you?
Nick by the way are you Macedonian? If so dobar dan e hvala, thanks again!
Steve
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Does this look about right?
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/3353480319_d42c42e4c9.jpg?v=0)
Another thing, how do you guys clean this thick nasty carbon deposit in the lower intake? Seafoam and toothbrush??? Getting this stuff off is tough.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/3354303864_12deb6ac57_m.jpg)
I hot tanked mine, I used to work at a dealership that had one. You can take it to a local machine shop and they would probably do it on the cheap and possibly free if you have done business with them in the past. Who knows, you may be able to get them to bead blast it too.
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Yeah that would have been a better idea but I needed the car finished ASAP as its my main mode of transportation. I used sea foam in a spray bottle with an old tooth brush and some rags. Let the sea foam soak and it came out pretty clean with some elbow grease.
I gotta say using mobil-1 for 10+ years sure as heck kept the motor clean. No sludge build up:)
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btw a beemer is a motorcycle a bimmer is a car
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btw a beemer is a motorcycle a bimmer is a car
LOL, I hate when that happens! When I was making my screen name I was in the middle of the whole timing chain debacle and needed advice quickly. Now that you said it I do remember that, oops :o
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i have plenty of brain farts like that
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where exactly is the tdc flywheel hole located at? i cannot find it and i am doing my head gasket right now. also if i do not have the official tool what is the correct size of the rod to put in the hole? width wise. thanks guys.
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Flywheel hole is right underneath starter motor and when the flywheel pin goes in, it will sit right up against the block. You can't miss it - just have a good look. If you haven't got the tool, use an 8mm drill bit.
What about the cams? Have you got the locking tool for the camshafts?
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Also beemer1
Nick by the way are you Macedonian? If so dobar dan e hvala, thanks again!
Steve
Yes I am and Nema greshka
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no cam tool but i made one thanks for the information :-)