Cam timing on the CSX....

[1FastCSX289]

So I got the CSX back together after my valve incident and got it running this morning. Runs well, but I havent gotten into it yet. When I did the head, I used the old bungie-cord-from-the-hood-trick to hold my cam gearin position in the hopes that I wouldnt have to reset my cam timing. Well, I checked it after it all went back together and it appears to be off slightly.

My question is....should I leave it like this? I think the cam is retarded.....correct me if im wrong. When the motor is at TDC, the cam is turned maybe a tooth too far in the clockwise direction. What will this do to the power band on the car? It normally takes forever to spool that GT30R (at least compared to a T2). Will this cam position help me match the turbo's power band or should I go back and put it spot on again?

[tvanlant]

If the cam is off a tooth in either direction is going to cause a large power bad movement. A tooth advanced will make it run out of breath very quickly, but have good response and low end. Retarded will make it very lazy down low, hard to start, etc. You need to have it on the correct tooth and if you want to play with cam timing to help spool the turbo, get an adjustable gear. It isn't hard to set the timing on these cars, so might as well do it right when you're there.

What I always do to make it super-easy is set the flywheel on 0 degrees, take off the distributor cap and set the intermediate shaft to where the rotor points at #1 plug wire, set the cam gear in the appropriate position, then slide your belt on and you're done. I don't even mess with trying to keep the belt on whenever I'm working on the car anymore. I just pull it off, then reset it each time.

[1FastCSX289]

If the cam is off a tooth in either direction is going to cause a large power bad movement. A tooth advanced will make it run out of breath very quickly, but have good response and low end. Retarded will make it very lazy down low, hard to start, etc. You need to have it on the correct tooth and if you want to play with cam timing to help spool the turbo, get an adjustable gear. It isn't hard to set the timing on these cars, so might as well do it right when you're there.

What I always do to make it super-easy is set the flywheel on 0 degrees, take off the distributor cap and set the intermediate shaft to where the rotor points at #1 plug wire, set the cam gear in the appropriate position, then slide your belt on and you're done. I don't even mess with trying to keep the belt on whenever I'm working on the car anymore. I just pull it off, then reset it each time.

If the timing belt is set with the proper tension, its all but impossible to slide on and off. I try to avoid having to remove all the belts and covers to gain access to the tensioner. Usually works well. I may be OK still. Im not noticing any real difference in the way the car drives normally (not sluggish or hard starting), so maybe the cam timing is correct. I checked it with a mirror......I really should pull the motor mount up front and jack the engine up so that I can get a clear view of the cam gear. Thanks though.