list,
thanks for the help and advice. in the end, i took the timing cover off and replaced the timing chain and tensioner (a good thing too, since all the rubber had been worn off.) it's all back together now, but i can't get it to start. i lined up the mark on the crank pulley with 0 degrees (ie. no. 1 piston at TDC), the cam dowel is vertical so both valves are closed on piston 1 (i can stick the feeler guage in there, inlet valve clearance is set at 0.2mm and exhaust at 0.25mm), and the dizzy rotor points at the notch on the housing. i got a mate to try and start it and it would almost start so i turned the dizzy slowly with no effect. it wouldn't start so i gave up. it turned out that he hadn't been giving it any throttle at all, but i didn't find this out until after i'd readjusted everything. anyway, more tinkering has led to pops and backfires. and i can't get it to 'almost start' like it was doing the first time.
i managed to get hold of a 1600 (all L-series are the same aren't they?, i've got an L18) manual and it says to set the crankshaft pulley at the 20 deg mark to the left of TDC, and setting the dizzy to point at the notch which indicates number 1 piston should fire. but when i turn the engine over it just gives the occassional pop.
so what is the exact position that everything should be?
cam dowel vertical?
dizzy rotor pointing at notch on housing?
crank pulley at 0deg, 10 deg, or 20deg. before TDC?
thanks in advance for any more help you can give me,
-craig
p.s. i made a wooden wedge to hold the timing chain in place and it works! the 1600 manual gave the dimensions: 6 1/2 inch long, 1 1/4 inch wide at one end, 1 3/4 wide at the other. use a hard wood (i.e. mine's jarrah, or maybe pine, not MDF)
>From: "Cleary Signs" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Re: refitting head
>Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 12:44:32 +1000
>
>Trev,
>was it made out of nylon (like the kitchen cutting board)?
>
>Heath
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Pooley, Trevor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Monday, November 12, 2001 10:50 AM
>Subject: RE: refitting head
>
>
> > List,
> >
> > I had a Nissan motorsports style tensioner keeper made to resolve this
> > problem. Save heaps of time stuffing around with bits of wood etc.
> >
> > But, to add to Eddie's comments. I have had some luck in the past by
> > removing the oil pump and using various screwdrivers to get the tensioner
> > back in. Good luck Craig. I think you will need to take the front cover
>off
> > to set up the chain and cog positions properly.
> >
> > Cheers
> > Trev
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > Sent: Sunday, 11 November 2001 3:01
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: Re: refitting head
> >
> >
> > I,ve managed to do this twice before without dissembling
>everything...first
> > time took hours but the second about 5 minutes :-) I just used a long flat
> > tipped screwdriver and a torch.
> >
> > The tesioner has to be EXACTLY inline and EXACTLY square with the hole to
>go
> > back in as it is a perfect fit in the bore...that's the thing that makes
>it
> > so difficult to refit without timing cover removal.
> >
> > There's a bit about it all and a drawing of the tool you need here...
> > http://www.datsunworld.com/techtips.htm
> >
> >
> > Snap-on also do a tool for L series timing chains but as usual it's
> > expensive. Looks nice though :-)
> >
> > Eddie Rattley
> > England
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > www.ratdat.com
> >
> > From: Steven Copcutt
> >
> >
> > Craig you can get the tensioner back in ( but not easy ) with a lot of
> > patience . U need a small tire iron ( lever ) with a curl at one end and
>use
> > this end with a torch ( so you can see what you are doing ) and lever the
> > left side of the cam chain back where they seem closest . ( viewed from
>top)
> > { this is with the head off } before you attempt this you need to have a
> > piece of wood ( size and measurements is in the archives I think ) to put
> > down between the chains when you get the tensioner in , good luck
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Craig Guppy
> >
> >
> > help!
> > I just had my L18 head reconditioned, ported and polished and had a medium
> > street performance crow cam fitted. the only two things I was told to do
>by
> > the guy at the autopro shop before I took the head off was to set number 1
> > piston at TDC compression stroke, and make sure I didn't drop the timing
> > chain. I did this. so now I'm at the stage of putting the head back on.
> >
> > but now somebody else has told me that if the timing chain wasn't tight
> > (which it isn't, it's hanging by a coat-hanger from the bonnet catch with
> > about 1 inch of slack) I'd have to take the timing cover off to make sure
>it
> > hadn't fallen off the bottom cog? (can you tell I've never done this
> > before?!) anyway, I'm about to replace the cam sprocket and loop the
>timing
> > chain up over it but there's 3 small holes at 90 degrees to each other (on
> > the cam sprocket) that can each line up with the one circular extrusion on
> > the end of the cam.
> >
> > do I really have to take the timing cover off?
> > so which hole fits onto this extrusion? the middle one??
> > what angle is the camshaft meant to be at? (the circular extrusion on the
> > end of the cam is now at the 12 o'clock position)
> >
> >
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