Span the engine round a couple of time to make sure I wasn't mad. If you look at the photo then the left cam hasn't jet reached level and the right cam has already passed.
20180819_120059.jpg
How easy is it to turn the crank once the pulley is off and you can see the marks? Should I lock the crank in place via the flywheel once it is aligned?
Is it safe to turn the cams by the cam pulley bolt?
 
davidsmith1307 said:
Span the engine round a couple of time to make sure I wasn't mad. If you look at the photo then the left cam hasn't jet reached level and the right cam has already passed.
View attachment 155998
How easy is it to turn the crank once the pulley is off and you can see the marks? Should I lock the crank in place via the flywheel once it is aligned?
Is it safe to turn the cams by the cam pulley bolt?
Click to expand...
easy if you put the bolt back in
yes but best clockwise
 
davidsmith1307 said:
Span the engine round a couple of time to make sure I wasn't mad. If you look at the photo then the left cam hasn't jet reached level and the right cam has already passed.
View attachment 155998
How easy is it to turn the crank once the pulley is off and you can see the marks? Should I lock the crank in place via the flywheel once it is aligned?
Is it safe to turn the cams by the cam pulley bolt?
Click to expand...
In this pic they both look high to me. I always used a mirror to check they were lined up correctly.
davidsmith1307 said:
Sorted. Nothing is easy on this car o_O
Click to expand...
Is this good news or irony?
 
Alibro said:
In this pic they both look high to me. I always used a mirror to check they were lined up correctly.

Is this good news or irony?
Click to expand...
More sarcasm I'd say.
They both look high because one has passed alignment before one has reached it.
In a way I'm glad that I don't have to stress about keeping everything aligned and can just get on with setting everything correctly.
I'm right in thinking that with the crank timing mark lined up the pistons are half way down the bores and well out of the way when I'm adjusting the cams?
Obviously I'll be doing the water pump while I'm there and fitting a PRT.
 
davidsmith1307 said:
I'm right in thinking that with the crank timing mark lined up the pistons are half way down the bores and well out of the way when I'm adjusting the cams?
Click to expand...

That's correct. The only truly safe time to spin the cams is when the crank is at the timing position.
 
Completely concur with above: one of the cams are out and they need resetting from scratch.

To do this you need to see the crank pulley. There’s a dot on it that needs to align to the TDC mark on the cover. Once there, the two cams should align.

I have a 160 engine in the boot of my Freelander that I’m about to lift the head from - I’ll take some pictures for you :)

87E15775-16BE-4CFD-A901-5CDB3220DABA.jpeg
 
Bit easier to work on like that. It's tough to line the cams up when the engine is slightly canted and the wing is in the way...
...and your eyes are getting old and dim :(
 
Definitely!!!!

In fact I am going to lift the head, inspect and fit new gaskets and fully service it for exactly that reason: much easier now than in a car. Especially when that car happens to be an MGF! Lol
 
You’ve probably got the car on stands and the road wheel off already: much easier to do the crank position from the wheel arch!

830C5F75-743B-4DBD-A310-2A880FB4A189.jpeg


This is where you want to get the crank pulley aligned to:
79E94CAA-7C32-4C7E-B6B0-6AEB56AEF65A.jpeg


Are you replacing the cam belt? If so, good time to do it. If not, once you know the position of the crank, loosen off the belt tensioner, pull off the belt and then re-align the pulleys and get the belt back on. :)
 
rob_bell said:
Completely concur with above: one of the cams are out and they need resetting from scratch.

To do this you need to see the crank pulley. There’s a dot on it that needs to align to the TDC mark on the cover. Once there, the two cams should align.

I have a 160 engine in the boot of my Freelander

View attachment 156063
Click to expand...

I've got one of those in my scrap MGF.
Any idea how much it's worth?
 
rob_bell said:
Are you replacing the cam belt? If so, good time to do it. If not, once you know the position of the crank, loosen off the belt tensioner, pull off the belt and then re-align the pulleys and get the belt back on. :)
Click to expand...
Belts and water pump. I'd rather not go back in there for a while.
 
I bought this one condition unknown covered in crud and overspray for £100 and a swap for an inlet manifold I had (and surplus to requirement) - but I reckon yours would be worth much more.

Would make a lovely upgrade for a Caterham or Lotus Elise... ;)
 
PS have you done a compression test? A tooth out is not disastrous, but any more and there’s a risk of piston/valve “interference”...
 
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