While doing some other things to my Sammi,I figured I'd change out the belt and replace the crank seal. When I took the cover off and rotated engine to match mark on crank. I noticed my cam gear is 180 out,mark pointing towards crank. Can these gears be put on 180 out? It runs fine with it there.

one gear is bigger than the other, the crank shaft turns at a two to one ratio, turn the crank one full revolution it will be fine.

OK will do. Thanks

While doing some other things to my Sammi,I figured I'd change out the belt and replace the crank seal. When I took the cover off and rotated engine to match mark on crank. I noticed my cam gear is 180 out,mark pointing towards crank. Can these gears be put on 180 out? It runs fine with it there.

.....and now you know how people get the distributor 180* out (by not having the cam in the correct position, when they install the distributor).

ya but she did not say that she took it out, I would be more worried about how tight the crank bolt is.

ya but she did not say that she took it out, I would be more worried about how tight the crank bolt is.

I wasn't implying that she did.

Well she did say it ran fine! and when she turns the crank one rev the mark would of been in the correct place, besides it's not like an old vw where you can't move the wires around on the cap because number three would over heat.

This one confuses everyone (me included).

- When you work on the disty you want #1 at TDC. 

- When you work on the timing belt you want #4 at TDC.

It looks to me that they want to time the belt at number four compression stroke TDC because the key on the cam sprocket is 180 deg. off from the alingment mark on the cam sprocket, or they are Just messing with you.

This one confuses everyone (me included).

- When you work on the disty you want #1 at TDC. 

- When you work on the timing belt you want #4 at TDC.

Think very carefully about this - #1 & #4 are at TDC at exactly the same time - TDC or Top Dead Center is when the piston is at the top of it's travel, and this will occur once for every revolution of the crankshaft. since this is a four stroke engine, it takes two revolutions of the crankshaft, to complete a cycle, and in these two revolutions, each piston will reach TDC twice, once at the end of the compression stroke, and once at the end of the exhaust stroke - this is a four cylinder, four stroke engine, so when #1 is at TDC on the compression stroke, #4 will be at TDC on the exhaust stroke, but both are at TDC.

Quote from: warbird on May 29, 2012, 08:46:31 AM

This one confuses everyone (me included).

- When you work on the disty you want #1 at TDC. 

- When you work on the timing belt you want #4 at TDC.

Think very carefully about this

That's what gets me confused...    (but your explanation is quite good!)

Just my opinion, but TDC should really be specified like this ...

#1 cylinder at TDC on the compression stroke

Just my opinion, but TDC should really be specified like this ...

#1 cylinder at TDC on the compression stroke

Stroke type is decided by the head though, not the block.  The crank is in the same position each stroke, it's the valve positioning that decides what it is doing. 

Everything is fine,started it yesterday fired right up and runs great. Now for todays headache,trying to find headlight bezels for new SJ410 grill.