I was playing with the car after installing a few new thing today. I did a hard pull in second and when I pulled up to the stop sign my check engine light popped on and I could hear something wasnt right. So I pull over pop the hood. I noticed all 4 bolt from my adjustable cam gear are missing! I know they were set at 3/3 however I dont know how to set it back or where to get new bolts. Anyone in Fort Worth know how? Does anyone know where to get the bolts?

 

1. Pull the valve cover
2. There is a point 1/3 of the way down the cam where a wrench will fit, do not touch any of the shiny journals
3. Place the wrench on and use it to turn the cam until your timing marks line up. Do not force it if it will not go, there will be some resistance, but not a ton.
4. Torque down your bolts
5. Rotate the motor to TDC so that all of the timing marks line up. If they do not, the belt has skipped and you have a bigger project on your hands
6. Kick who ever installed you gears in the nuts for not torquing down the bolts enough.

As far as the bolts go, you may be able to go to Fastenal or HOme depot and find a bolt that fits. Use grade 8 bolt. Remember the bolt will not be long at all. Contact the manufacturer and see if they can give you the pitch and size of the bolt. If not, buy a whole bunch and see what fits.

If you had the timing cover on still there is a chance that the bolts fell into the bottom timing cover, you need to check. If they did they can get caught in the crank gear and cause the belt to skip. There isnt a lot of space down there so more that likely they are not there, but I would still check.

Obviously dont drive the car until you get it fixed.

Here is a link to a good cam install walkthrough, that will give you an idea as far as some of the steps go.
http://www.evomoto.com/tech_articles..._article_id=18

 

^^ +1 on what he all said..i'd definitely check the bottom timing cover..you don't want a skip a tooth in the crank gear plus it might cause some damage on your belt (if it will be in there) that MIGHT cause your belt to snap in the long run..

 

how far did your cam actually move?

A long time ago Kelly had this happen and I hate to inform you, but it smashed all his valves in the head....I would say all the advise Krisin said is correct. You can some times get away with just using the bolt on the end of the cam to get it back in time, but the safest way is to use the cam.

I would set them both to Zero Zero, and the car at TDC and do a leak down test to make sure the valves arent bent.

 

 

Also, I am not sure if you have back up transport, but if the car is still down let me know on Tuesday. I am off and live just south of you. I can come take a look, I have done many a cam swap on the 4g63.

 

Cams were set at -3/-3 and after looking last night the back cam gear I'm assuming is the intake cam is still in place however the front / exhaust? is set at +8 now. The car didnt act funny at all and I was only 1 block from home I think my car officially hates me for some reason haha. The gears look perfect the belt looks perfect its just advanced a bunch. I really want a ported and polished head just not on these terms

 

Thanks I might take you up on that offer tuesday. Its only a weekend car thankfully. I can parts change and do most all of my own work however I've never done TDC and frankly would feel better having someone else that has done it make sure I do it correctly!

 

Yep that about sums it up Sean Kevin had this face half way thru my tune as well

 

you might have lucked out on the valves then, but I would definitely set everything to zero zero and do a leak down to be sure.....

 

Why does it need to be set to 0/0? I can't just do a -3/-3 and do it?

 

Ok so far so good. Everything seems to be at TDC. Kelly is letting me bum a set of bolts for the gears until mine get here. Thanks again Kelly!! With any luck I'll be up and running again tomorrow unscathed! Only it seems too easy and I'm a bit worried haha

 

Well to add fuel to the fire yesterday, I was threading the new bolts in the cam gear. My 21 month old son was in the garage working on his "car" beside me when I dropped a bolt onto a set of gears eeeerrrrrr. No biggie right! So I pull out my nifty super long needle nose pliers and grab the bolt and start brining it out. Just as I approach the top of the bottom timing belt cover I think to myself" thank god this worked" and at that very moment my son pokes me in the a$$ with a plastic screwdriver sending the pliers in the air and the bolt to the bottom of the cover!! In my ,now ultimate frustration I sit on the ground and staired at the car while my son let out this not funny at the time rolling laughter like he just "GOT" Daddy! Good times good freaking times! haha

 

that's hilarious, John
I'm sure you can use that story to your advantage while trying to survive his teenage years...

I wonder if you can retrieve it with a long strong wire tie
with some nasty tape or silicone strategically placed on the tip of the tape ball..
Oh, and it sounds like its time for a nap, for both of you!!!

 

Kelly your right about the story sitting here writing made me lol a few times and my wife was asking "what are you laughing at".. Unfortunantely I heard it hit bottom of the timing belt cover. Sooooo off that has to come! Errrr