How to set the timing chain with stronger springs

Ty3366!!

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So i struggled with getting the tensioner to stay engaged and it just kept slipping a tooth on the exhaust cam after installing my Brain Crower titanium springs. So ill explain the easiest way to do this with the motor in the car like i had.

Set the timing cover on the motor and put the crank pulley on. Put a long screwdriver into cylinder 1 just to confirm its at the top and not 180 out and at the bottom. Align the crank pulleys white line on the mark on the timing cover.

Set the cams as close to perfect as you can.

Take the crank pulley off and the timing cover.

With 2 people, set the chain with the two gold links in between the crank dot. Put an adjustable wrench on each cam. Put the chain on the intake cam dot and youll have to turn the exhaust cam clockwise and the intake cam counter clockwise a small amount to get the gold link on the chain to set on the cam dot correctly on the exhaust cam. Hold the cam, and turn the intake cam counter clockwise to create the tension on both of the cams make sure the lines in the cams are in line perfectly and put the right chain guide on.

Install the left chain guide arm and engage the tensioner. Now if you let go it will pop right over or will be super close to slipping. So dont let the cams go yet.

Put the crank pulley and bolt on(so you can get them off after and only tighten the crank pulley bolt enough to spin the crank.

Turn the crank clockwise a small amount and all of the slack will go away and the chain will be tight. Let go of the cams with the wrenches.

Youll have to get another click out of the tensioner. You can pull on the left chain guide arm at the bottom where you have the most leverage. I put a pry bar that fit perfectly and didn’t hit anything and put it inbetween one of the alternator mounting bolts and the tensioner arm. Pry and pull a little until you hear another click. I tried to go for 2 but never could get a second one. You dont need a lot of force here, it should come fairly easy.

Take the pry bar out and spin the crank. A small amount of slack still occurs when the lobe is going over the rocker but it shouldnt be enough to slip teeth on the exhaust cam. Turn the crank at least one full rotation just to verify.

Good luck this took me a week to figure out.
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mrburgerUS

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Sounds like you had fun! I’m guessing the built motor is better? I’m dreading the timing portion of the build, and reading this post gives me hope
 
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So i struggled with getting the tensioner to stay engaged and it just kept slipping a tooth on the exhaust cam after installing my Brain Crower titanium springs. So ill explain the easiest way to do this with the motor in the car like i had.

Set the timing cover on the motor and put the crank pulley on. Put a long screwdriver into cylinder 1 just to confirm its at the top and not 180 out and at the bottom. Align the crank pulleys white line on the mark on the timing cover.

Set the cams as close to perfect as you can.

Take the crank pulley off and the timing cover.

With 2 people, set the chain with the two gold links in between the crank dot. Put an adjustable wrench on each cam. Put the chain on the intake cam dot and youll have to turn the exhaust cam clockwise and the intake cam counter clockwise a small amount to get the gold link on the chain to set on the cam dot correctly on the exhaust cam. Hold the cam, and turn the intake cam counter clockwise to create the tension on both of the cams make sure the lines in the cams are in line perfectly and put the right chain guide on.

Install the left chain guide arm and engage the tensioner. Now if you let go it will pop right over or will be super close to slipping. So dont let the cams go yet.

Put the crank pulley and bolt on(so you can get them off after and only tighten the crank pulley bolt enough to spin the crank.

Turn the crank clockwise a small amount and all of the slack will go away and the chain will be tight. Let go of the cams with the wrenches.

Youll have to get another click out of the tensioner. You can pull on the left chain guide arm at the bottom where you have the most leverage. I put a pry bar that fit perfectly and didn’t hit anything and put it inbetween one of the alternator mounting bolts and the tensioner arm. Pry and pull a little until you hear another click. I tried to go for 2 but never could get a second one. You dont need a lot of force here, it should come fairly easy.

Take the pry bar out and spin the crank. A small amount of slack still occurs when the lobe is going over the rocker but it shouldnt be enough to slip teeth on the exhaust cam. Turn the crank at least one full rotation just to verify.

Good luck this took me a week to figure out.
Do you have photos of this procedure?
This seems to have plenty of information that can help me do my intake camshaft swap propject.
 
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Ty3366!!

Ty3366!!

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Do you have photos of this procedure?
This seems to have plenty of information that can help me do my intake camshaft swap propject.
No, i thought about it as i was making the post. I have to reopen the motor anyway, ill add in pictures for the steps. This wont be until October though, that’s when I’m pulling the car back in the garage.
 

ManitobaSI

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This is exactly what I went through tonight but I didn’t solve the problem yet. I’m stuck. I’ll try reading your post a few time more
Honda Civic 10th gen How to set the timing chain with stronger springs CE3258DB-86D4-4D91-B071-E016E83FE129
Honda Civic 10th gen How to set the timing chain with stronger springs F64DF258-6AB1-4BC2-B213-0975064E48B2
Honda Civic 10th gen How to set the timing chain with stronger springs 0AC487C9-C9AE-49FF-AC37-F3A51E821A39
 


ManitobaSI

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So i struggled with getting the tensioner to stay engaged and it just kept slipping a tooth on the exhaust cam after installing my Brain Crower titanium springs. So ill explain the easiest way to do this with the motor in the car like i had.

Set the timing cover on the motor and put the crank pulley on. Put a long screwdriver into cylinder 1 just to confirm its at the top and not 180 out and at the bottom. Align the crank pulleys white line on the mark on the timing cover.

Set the cams as close to perfect as you can.

Take the crank pulley off and the timing cover.

With 2 people, set the chain with the two gold links in between the crank dot. Put an adjustable wrench on each cam. Put the chain on the intake cam dot and youll have to turn the exhaust cam clockwise and the intake cam counter clockwise a small amount to get the gold link on the chain to set on the cam dot correctly on the exhaust cam. Hold the cam, and turn the intake cam counter clockwise to create the tension on both of the cams make sure the lines in the cams are in line perfectly and put the right chain guide on.

Install the left chain guide arm and engage the tensioner. Now if you let go it will pop right over or will be super close to slipping. So dont let the cams go yet.

Put the crank pulley and bolt on(so you can get them off after and only tighten the crank pulley bolt enough to spin the crank.

Turn the crank clockwise a small amount and all of the slack will go away and the chain will be tight. Let go of the cams with the wrenches.

Youll have to get another click out of the tensioner. You can pull on the left chain guide arm at the bottom where you have the most leverage. I put a pry bar that fit perfectly and didn’t hit anything and put it inbetween one of the alternator mounting bolts and the tensioner arm. Pry and pull a little until you hear another click. I tried to go for 2 but never could get a second one. You dont need a lot of force here, it should come fairly easy.

Take the pry bar out and spin the crank. A small amount of slack still occurs when the lobe is going over the rocker but it shouldnt be enough to slip teeth on the exhaust cam. Turn the crank at least one full rotation just to verify.

Good luck this took me a week to figure out.
To follow up on this. I talked with a few engine builders and they said don’t turn the crank at all. It slips because the tensioner uses oil pressure to keep the chain tight. So you have to set the gold links in the right place and prime the tensioner before. Prime the engine before start up. I’m working through this issue now. Seems risky not to do a to rotation but it’s what they do. I follow the honda manual exactly but yes if you do a test rotation it does slip on the exhaust cam. Thoughts? @kshawn @360glitch
 

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To follow up on this. I talked with a few engine builders and they said don’t turn the crank at all. It slips because the tensioner uses oil pressure to keep the chain tight. So you have to set the gold links in the right place and prime the tensioner before. Prime the engine before start up. I’m working through this issue now. Seems risky not to do a to rotation but it’s what they do. I follow the honda manual exactly but yes if you do a test rotation it does slip on the exhaust cam. Thoughts? @kshawn @360glitch
This was my experience as well, I spent several days going back and forth on this. It would slip every time while testing.

TL/DR - Set it and forget it.
 
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Ty3366!!

Ty3366!!

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Do not set it and forget it. Most likely it will slip.

When you set the chain in the right spot and engage the tensioner there will be slack. Turn the intake cam counter clockwise until it takes all of the slack out of the chain and it will put it on the tensioner side and than you need to figure out a way to get another click out of the tensioner. I did mine in the car so i pryed off of the alternator and the arm the tensioner touches. You hear it click. Than do your full turn on the crank. Note that some slack will be present but not enough to allow it to slip
 
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Ty3366!!

Ty3366!!

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If you notice in your first picture that the lines on the cams dont line up. By turning the intake counterclockwise theyll line up. Than maybe just push the big tensioner arm to get that click. Youll hear it, its not super loud but its there
 

ManitobaSI

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No way I can get a click. I tried all day. I pried every which way. Now I stripped one of my bolts holes in the block for my arm. Now I have to fix that. This thing is a nightmare.
 


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Ty3366!!

Ty3366!!

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It is a huge pain. Im sorry that you stripped one of the holes man… when i was doing it, it definitely made me rethink a lot of life decisions and made me just want to push it outside and cut a tree down onto it and call my insurance agent and go oh no!
 
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Ty3366!!

Ty3366!!

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In October im tearing back into my motor bc its not sending oil through the motor and ill make a video and put it on youtube… you gotta promise to subscribe though ? im jk idc lol
 

ManitobaSI

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ohhhh the pleasures of modifying lol. I’m not modifying my next car. F-it. Time for a mustang if my car doesn’t start. ?

In October im tearing back into my motor bc its not sending oil through the motor and ill make a video and put it on youtube… you gotta promise to subscribe though ? im jk idc lol
 

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Well team. Timing Slipped when I installed clutch. So I reset it, then had someone hold everything, the. I removed tensioner, added one click, then reinstalled. Now I am golden. It is a two person job. See photo of how it should look if you don’t want to rely on other methods. To me this is safe. I wasn’t able to get that extra click while the tensioner was fully installed. I can now so I trial rotation. This is similar to @Ty3366!! method except I couldn’t get a click by prying when it’s in.


Honda Civic 10th gen How to set the timing chain with stronger springs 31D2C071-FC3D-4422-AA66-1D2D66FF5552
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