yeahhh i needed a head gasket replacement due to a failure on one side. so i took it apart down to the block. the block is still in the truck but everything else is disconnected because i had to get the heads off. anyway i got them off got the factory gaskets in and wow mine were messed up! the truck was overheating and i checked the water pump and thermostat and both were functional. i had vapor coming out of the exhaust on cold starts, a very light amount of oil actually in the over flow tank. so i cleaned off the carbon and cooked coolant off the heads and block and im ready to re assemble but i have a problem. ive never timed an engine! i know how it works and what it does but as far as putting it back together correctly and not bending a valve or totally rocking the trucks socks i need to know what to do. i took the distributor cap off and cleaned the metal pieces in there cause of the buildup and put it back together. i think the gear might have even spun a few clicks i didnt relaize what i did until after. but i dont know how to tell where the crank is at in degrees or what piston is going to fire according to how i left it. confused yet? for the record i took the cams out of the head cause the cam seals were about to go. please by all means repost on here or if its to much ask for my number so i can do it right. thanks

#1 Did you get the heads inspected by a machine shop?

#2 If the answer to #1 is yes, did they rebuild the heads?

#3 if the answer to #2 is yes, did you inspect the block?

Found this awhile back. Hope it helps.


Setting the timing belt
http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...67timingbe.pdf

Setting the distributor
http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...13distribu.pdf

The 3zve (only assuming thats what your talking about) is a non interference motor, so you dont need to worry about bending a valve.

Download the FSM or buy a chilton or hayes manual, they have step by step instructions for setting the timing. (edit: the links above are good ones to follow!)

Its a good time to check valve clearance/leaky valves while your in there.

And for what its worth, I think stock timing on that motor calls for 10 degrees, but you can get a little bit of free power by turning it up to 12-14...

Wow... I've never even heard of an engine thats a "non interference", up untill now. I had to go look it up. ( Not saying I dont trust you, Hyde802. I just had to be sure) so thank you for that bit of info!

yes thanks everyone. it isnt a very difficult motor ive worked on m3's and audi's at y highschool auto shop class. now THAT was insanity but i just never realized i ****ed up the timing settings. everything else is good to go. and no ii havent got the heads and block inspected because they just had a little bit of fried coolant from the gasket fail and a little build up. clean as a whistle otherwise. i took a light brush to them.

Gasket failures almost ALWAYS lead to at least SOME warping on the heads. Get them inspected. It costs very little ($15 a head at my local machine shop) and could save you from having to do this again in 6 months (maybe less if the heads are warped). It doesn't matter how clean they are if there is even a slight warpage, you are F****D in short order.

Please read this and learn!!!!

@

If you don't mind my asking, How much was the machine work and what had to be done? I'm trying to prevent someone from making a mistake.

My buddy actually took care of it because their shop is right by his house, and he has used them a few times before. So I didn't get to talk to the guys. We had originally planed to the have the parts hot tanked ($30), but apparently the machinist said they weren't that dirty so he had someone clean them by hand for free. He machined the heads (0.008) for $60.