11 replies to this topic

[Prospero]

Hey all,

Got my rods installed, head on, cam cover bolted up... and now ready to do the timing belt. Found myself in a bind though...

Seems to me that the timing alignment marks when looking at the timing belt side do align with the timing cover BUT when I look at the cams from the rear of the engine... they don't seem to mesh right.

I've read about every damn thing I can about timing belt installs on VVT heads and it seems to me that the cams should be equally horizontal when viewed from behind. Mine aren't but the timing marks are aligned. The processes I see normally reference align all timing marks as the staple; but I just wanted to be 10000000% sure before I bolt this up and try to start it.

What do you all think? Am I stressing after putting in all these hours and not thinking right?

Intake Side


Exhaust Side


Rear of the engine


Together

[Tommy.]

PM user Ihatespeedbumps

He works on VVT all the time. He should be able to give you the proper advice. I would but only have done it on the non-VVT engines. Good luck! Engine looks awesome

[Keaton85]

This should be in the 99 section..

anyway, both of them are off. they should line up with the line of the head to the cam cover/holder. So the intake needs to be turned counter clockwise a hair and the exhaust needs to go counter clockwise a few more teeth.

Although on the exhaust side, it depends on how you set up the VVT when doing the cam seals? As there is a special process to get the VVT installed correctly.

[Volvo5.0]

I guess the first question should be, did you remove the VVT hub/gear from the cam? If you replaced the front cam seal then you would have, and you will need to lock the cams from the rear to set it up properly.

[Prospero]

Thanks for the input! I did not remove the pulley off of the cam. That's why I'm confused.

Any local members with experience near NoVA that wanna come help? I'm exhausted and frustrated

[S8ET6]

Prospero, on 26 January 2012 - 09:52 PM, said:

Exhaust Side


Rear of the engine

The key to sucess is to work from the back to the front using the horizontal line where the head meets the block as a reference point.

So, first of all, you'll need to orientate the cams correctly from the rear...in your picture above, the intake looks correct very close but the exhaust cam is off by 180+ degrees. Rotate the exhaust cam so that the diagnal slot for the cps is above the horizontal line. Then lock the cams in position and move to the front.

Install your timing gears. Your intake cam gear marks should be aligned. The exhaust side cvvt hub/gear can be put on with the mark pointing correctly to the cover. (assuming that you haven't loosened the 3 bolts on the cvvt) Torque the cvvt hub down correctly, install the timing belt, and rotate the motor 2 revolutions by hand to check for interference.

If you did happen to loosen the cvvt hub bolts, don't panick... there's just a couple of extra steps that you will need to do in order to get everything in alignment. Let me know if I need to describe those steps too.

GL

[Volvo5.0]

S8ET6, on 26 January 2012 - 10:55 PM, said:

So, first of all, you'll need to orientate the cams correctly from the rear...in your picture above, the intake looks correct very close but the exhaust cam is off by 180+ degrees. Rotate the exhaust cam so that the diagnal slot for the cps is above the horizontal line. Then lock the cams in position and move to the front.

That isn't correct. The intake slot needs to be above the horizontal line in the head and the exhaust slot is below....

Intake


Exhaust

[Volvo5.0]

So here is my take on this. IF the motor ran ok before you took it apart and there were no codes related to VVT, then I would assume the gears are installed on the cams correctly. IF you never removed or loosened the gears (intake or exhaust) from the cams, then they are fine. It would essentially be the same as a routine t-belt change at that point, and there is no need to lock the cams from the rear for a routine t-belt change. The ONLY time the rear needs to be locked is if the gears were loosened or removed.

If there is any doubt though, the safest thing to do would be to get the cam lock tools and start from scratch.

[Prospero]

Damn skippy! Wholly stuff!

Alright, 4 days later, Chloe is reborn! New LGSpeed rods are installed, knock is gone, and OMG OMG OMG OMG no leaks, ticks, problems at all!

Thank you all for the help and advice. The timing marks simply needed to be lined up and then I spun the motor like 10 times by hand. Then finished installing all of the little things. (you know, intake, turbo, exhaust mani, air box, injectors, plugs, ohh and a whole lot more)...

She started the first time after I connected the plug wires! (Primed the motor with a few good cranks)

Ok, exhausted and gonna try to sleep. 10 miles on the ODO since she's been put together. Wow, hope for 200k more

Cheers yall!

[JHEIII874T5M]

Way to go. Great info.

[volvo]

Lock the cams from the rear!! TRUST ME

I have already wasted a freshly rebuilt 01 head by not doing this properly...


Buy the dealer tool kit, its liek 200$ on ebay...

Without it it will be very difficult to have the VVT in the end position without it slipping ....


If you have removed the vvt cam (WHich you have to to set the cam seal in place, if not idk what your doing), then there is a specific process to setting it back up again after removal,

go piratebay a copy of VADIS and get the tool kit, trust me.

[Ghost Shadow]

volvo, on 02 February 2012 - 03:00 PM, said:

Lock the cams from the rear!! TRUST ME

I have already wasted a freshly rebuilt 01 head by not doing this properly...


Buy the dealer tool kit, its liek 200$ on ebay...

Without it it will be very difficult to have the VVT in the end position without it slipping ....


If you have removed the vvt cam (WHich you have to to set the cam seal in place, if not idk what your doing), then there is a specific process to setting it back up again after removal,

go piratebay a copy of VADIS and get the tool kit, trust me.

party is over, little late to the game dude