Thanks a ton for your help.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake Raby
Wow... You couldn't hold the center stud while breaking torque on the center nut? Why?
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Your understanding is correct. The nut was stuck to the stud. I'm not sure why it was stuck on so tight.
In part I damaged the stud head because I initially used a screwdriver that was too small and stripped the slot. I tried larger screwdrivers and holding the stud head with vice-grips but could not break torque that way. I was stuck on this step for a few days.
One data point, not sure how relevant: The inside of the transmission is very dirty, and it's an '01... perhaps this contributed to the tightness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake Raby
Not starting at TDC is a recipe for disaster. The load from the cams is way too much and overcomes those measley little screws in a heartbeat.
There's one crank position where ALL the cams are unloaded, and that's at TDC.
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Thanks for this warning to future readers. Had I read this advice before the install I would have done it the way you describe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake Raby
You will not return the IMS to center without removing the loads from it, so you can't get the flange back on to rotate back to TDC; because you can't center it for re installation.
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There are a few things I don't understand here:
1) What is the nature of the load being put on the IMS? Is it bad for any engine component to apply a force opposite to this force?
2) Why is it important that the bearing is centered when rotating back to TDC?
3) In my first post I proposed using the removal tool to center the bearing by overcoming the force from the cams. The large cylinder part of the removal tool could be used to keep the bearing centered while moving the engine back to TDC. What are the issues with this approach?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake Raby
You now have to re- time the engine from scratch, just like everyone else who pulls the flange at any crank position other than TDC.
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Can you help me understand what exactly has gone wrong that requires retiming from scratch? Have I likely already let the chains slip (even with my 5-chain engine)?
Also, to "re-time from scratch," is it necessary to drop out the engine and take it apart?