Might be new Tech tip.

[Floridianson]

I am waiting for Steel Soldier #2 to comferm my findings but I think I have found a way to find top dead center compression stroke without removing the valve cover and watching the first valve in the head which is the intake. I know it does not take much time to remove the valve cover but if it saves anytime then this is a good tec tip. After the IP gear cover plate is removed and you can get a look at the idler gear not the IP gear but the idler that runs the IP gear here is what I found. If you turn over the crank clockwise looking from the front of the truck and watch the idler gear and you have better eyes than mine you will see at one point the idler has two marks punched into it. If you can see them in just about the middle of the cover opening and then look at where the HB marks are the crank needs to come around maybe just shy of 180* to be on TDC exhaust stroke.
See in the pic #2 of where the HB marks are when the two dots are showing. Now don't forget we need TDC compression stroke so the first time the marks line up we have to go around 360* again to be on TDC compression. I check this 4 times and watched the dots ,HB marks and the intake valve drop and marks come up to TDC compression.
I helped another member of SS get his IP straight and he pointed these marks out to me so I ran with it and he we sit.

 

[mattgunguy]

Man that must have been sitting on your mind. Glad to hear that my LDT isn't an anomaly with the mark on the large gear. Been running good since we talked.

 

[Floridianson]

Yea Matt I still don't know what the marks are there for I just took note of where they were in relationship to the crank. Thanks for pointing them out. So bottom line if you see the dots and the HB marks are by the radatior hose one would need to keep turning the crank over one more time till they are back at radatior hose then just bring them around to the pointer and that would be TDC compression.

 

[gringeltaube]

Yea Matt I still don't know what the marks are there for....

This...


G.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Looks like it has been confirmed! I will still check on one of my motors, just been busy here recently!

 

[Floridianson]

Right G but why would they need the marks on crank and idler as the IP gear is has no mark I found.

 

[gringeltaube]

Well, how else would you (easily)set the correct timing of the camshaft, if there were no marks on those two gears...?
Then, to correctly adjust the IP timing, that's a different story and we don't really need another set of marks, IMHO.

It sure does help though, to know that you should NOT be able to see the two dots on the camshaft gear when installing the IP.
I say thanks for the useful tip!


G.

 

[Floridianson]

Can't believe I forgot about that being the cam gear. Hay im a blonde. Thanks G. Yea don't need to confuse the peanut gallery.