Timing 180* off
#44
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I don't think they put the crank keyway in a different spot on the 1.8 vs. 1.6 relative to TDC. I think you have a rotated balancer ring either way. Many of the parts are interchangeable between the two engines due to common lineage.
#46
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If you look at the face of the pulley, you will note a dowel pin protruding through it near the large center bolt and between two of the smaller bolts. When this dowel pin is pointing straight up, that's TDC. This alignment cannot be altered without drilling a new hole in something.
So put the crank in that orientation, with the dowel at the 12:00 position, and look at the timing marks. Are they aligned with the timing scale on the engine? If not, the pulley is toast, plain and simple.
#47
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It's way off. I have the car tore apart right now so I have been checking it. Where I had marked my TDC to set my timing last week has moved probably about 5" from where it was lol
either I am getting lucky with this thing or she is about to blow!!!!
either I am getting lucky with this thing or she is about to blow!!!!
#48
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I'm done editing it. ![big grin](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
The trick with the dipstick in the plug hole is pretty handy. You can also do it in the #2 cylinder to determine whether they pulley has slipped or is in fact installed "backwards." If, with the dipstick in the #2 hole, you find that #2 TDC corresponds exactly with the alignment of the crank pulley notch to the "T" mark on the cover, then the pulley might simply be bolted on wrong (and the alignment tit missing from the plate that goes between the pulley and the cambelt gear.)
If it's not exactly aligned, then they pulley has probably just slipped.
Also, I'm going to stop giving technical advice for the evening. I'm pretty deep into a bottle of Cruzan right now, and even this simple post has taken me far too long to write. Nothing says "I'm a normal, well adjusted guy" like drinking to stupor alone on a Tuesday night while stalking the web forums like a child molester at a playground.
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The trick with the dipstick in the plug hole is pretty handy. You can also do it in the #2 cylinder to determine whether they pulley has slipped or is in fact installed "backwards." If, with the dipstick in the #2 hole, you find that #2 TDC corresponds exactly with the alignment of the crank pulley notch to the "T" mark on the cover, then the pulley might simply be bolted on wrong (and the alignment tit missing from the plate that goes between the pulley and the cambelt gear.)
If it's not exactly aligned, then they pulley has probably just slipped.
Also, I'm going to stop giving technical advice for the evening. I'm pretty deep into a bottle of Cruzan right now, and even this simple post has taken me far too long to write. Nothing says "I'm a normal, well adjusted guy" like drinking to stupor alone on a Tuesday night while stalking the web forums like a child molester at a playground.
I gotta say reading this may have not only solved my problem with my Miata, which I call Jack cause it’s literally been a nightmare since I acquired it which I’m sure will end up being shared if asked, but it may have also been the highlight of my day now. This turned out being both informative and entertaining and I just wanted to say thank u lol.
my miata has a new to him engine which has been Frankenstein out of a 1990 bottom end and a 2000 top end and the only thing holding me back now after all that work is probably just reversing the wires on the coil pack cause of the change made from 1.6 to 1.8. Which I’m on my way now to see if this works so please cross your fingers for me…. It’s been a long drawn out road for this moment so I’m really hoping this is it. We set the timing the way it should be and it backfires. I’ve never heard this car actually run as my oldest bought it with the original motor to replace the seized up one that was in it so what was supposed to be an easy swap turned into this nightmare rebuild. Wish me luck
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