Help requested please with Cam TDC...CAMS are not marked. - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Eric G · 08-11-2012, 02:32 PM

First off, I have not screwed anything up...that is what I am trying to prevent. I am trying to set my cams to TDC on Bank 1 and there is a problem with how they look.

This is what I should be seeing on the end of my cam:

This is what I have:

There are NO indentions, no place for a cam lock tool to hold one to?

This is on the front (cyl 1) of the engine above the water pump on the top plug opening

Here:

I feel I have missed something as all the threads show timing marks on the ends of the cams.

Please either correct me or let me know what/where I should be looking somewhere else.

(98 Box 2.5L 5 speed)

Thanks!

Jake Raby · 08-11-2012, 03:14 PM

The cam timing is already off if the crank is locked at TDC in these pics. You'll have to reset the timing and special tools are necessary.

san rensho · 08-11-2012, 03:41 PM

I can't see from your photo where the cam is, but the definitive DYI on setting cams is by Insite,

DIY: Setting Cam Timing on M96

Eric G · 08-11-2012, 03:51 PM

Nothing has been locked, nothing has been removed except a green cap on the area I show circled in red. My concern is I have no locking slots to put the cam lock tool in place.

I have read Insite's post and even have it with me in the car as I go through the process of trying to lock the engine down.

I am in the process of trying to set the engine to TDC, lock the cams in place, lock the crank then start the IMS but not seeing the slots for the cam tool has me puzzled.

Have I missed something or incorrectly gone looking for something that is not there?

Jager · 08-11-2012, 07:31 PM

What about the other bank, have you taken the green caps off? Heck, take all the green caps off and look at the end of the cams.

Jake Raby · 08-12-2012, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric G

Nothing has been locked, nothing has been removed except a green cap on the area I show circled in red. My concern is I have no locking slots to put the cam lock tool in place.

I have read Insite's post and even have it with me in the car as I go through the process of trying to lock the engine down.

I am in the process of trying to set the engine to TDC, lock the cams in place, lock the crank then start the IMS but not seeing the slots for the cam tool has me puzzled.

Have I missed something or incorrectly gone looking for something that is not there?

Your engine is a 5 chain, only the 3 chain has slots on both camshafts. The 5 chain does not.

I have instructed this procedure to over 300 people this year alone in my WTI engine mechanical class and M96 engine rebuild school and people just can't grasp the 5 chain set up. Because of that I included an entire chapter more info in my M96 engine assembly book to help people understand the 5 chain arrangement.

Sounds like you have the 3 chain cam timing tool; it won't work for the 5 chain engine.

Eric G · 08-12-2012, 07:40 AM

Jake is so correct. This is the problem of sometimes having too much information and not stopping and thinking about what you are going to do. The notches are right where they should be and the 5 chain (small single cam lock) tool is just what I needed.

Need to get back on track this morning and as my father use to say, time to shoot the engineers and begin production...except that would leave Robin to finish the car and she is shaking her head no as I write this.

Thank you for all the replies! On with the build....

WhipE350 · 08-12-2012, 08:01 AM

Hi Eric - ya mine is the same and I marked it with a sharpie so when I finished my IMS I could manually turn the crank and make sure everything returned to normal, I was being totally anal. I was expecting to only lock the right rear (looking at the car from the front) so didn't think much of it. Good luck with the job, I enjoyed doing mine and never think about it at all.

Jager · 08-13-2012, 05:29 PM

Now that I think about it, I never pulled the cap on the top-side cam so I never looked for the slot there. I just pulled the cap off the bottom cam and used the small tool:

Eric G · 08-13-2012, 07:01 PM

That is the unique aspect between the 3 and 5 chain engine and how in my moment of clarity I was able to see why the bottom (intake) cam is the only one to have the slots.

With that said, we have so much data floating out there that it can lead to confusion to those not as well versed on the engine...hence my post.