timing up my engine

Paladin5469 · May 2, 2016

hey guys, i have a problem timing up my engine on my 1994 ranger while changing my timing belt.

ive done a little bit of searching, ive checked diagrams, but my engine is missing timing marks for the auxiliary sprocket. I can time the crank sprockets and cam shaft just fine, but just not the auxiliary. Also there's only one peep hole, none for the auxiliary cam sprocket. There are no diamonds or marks on auxiliary or timing belt cover.
also there is a sensor on thee crank shaft sprocket that is absent from all the diagrams ive seen so far. Advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

Mark_88 · May 3, 2016

Howdy and welcome to TRS~!

This is a 94 with DIS (no distributor) so the auxiliary sprocket is not that crucial.

I guess what needs to be clarified is did you set it to TDC on the crank and then rotate the cam until the triangle on the cam gear points to roughly 5 o'clock?

TDC on the crank is the same regardless of cam (two rotations to one) and only critical once the belt is installed.

And...I guess...maybe you could clarify what is happening otherwise...like is it backfiring, not firing, not cranking at all...whatever symptoms you have currently.

RonD · May 3, 2016

Well there should be a CPS(cam position sensor) reading the AUX gear so it does need to be timed.

Have a look here: http://www.justanswer.com/ford/2r7b2-diagram-2-3l-1994-ranger-timing-belt-not-sure.html

There should be a small line on AUX gear

Mark_88 · May 3, 2016

Ooops...keep forgetting this is not as simple as me...

Paladin5469 · May 3, 2016

Mark_88 said:
Howdy and welcome to TRS~!

This is a 94 with DIS (no distributor) so the auxiliary sprocket is not that crucial.

I guess what needs to be clarified is did you set it to TDC on the crank and then rotate the cam until the triangle on the cam gear points to roughly 5 o'clock?

TDC on the crank is the same regardless of cam (two rotations to one) and only critical once the belt is installed.

And...I guess...maybe you could clarify what is happening otherwise...like is it backfiring, not firing, not cranking at all...whatever symptoms you have currently.

My brother and I are working on this. We have everything apart now and are hesitant to put it back together incorrectly.

We have the cam sprocket and crank all lined up, no problems there. We were expecting to see the diamond witness marks on the aux sprocket and inner timing cover as in nearly every DIY about 2.3 timing belts. 0 marks. We cleaned it out stuck cell phone cameras in there to get a better look, nothing. The aux sprocket is a dead match for the cam sprocket. Im sure ford had a bucket of sprockets and pulled out whatever worked in 94.

From my internet research, Ford put a sensor behind the aux sprocket in 95 and on. 94's may have had the sensor located in the aux sprocket if they were Cali emissions compliant. The triangle on the aux sprocket was roughly at the 2 o'clock position when I took off the timing cover originally. I bumped it when I took off the original belt so I may not get it exactly where it was.

I found one other thread about someone with a similar problem with a 94 who lined up the triangles with a string with the cam sprocket at TDC. He reported success.

To be clear, this truck does not have a distributor. There is a sensor of sorts near the crankshaft. That sensor is not present on any of the 2.3 timing videos I've seen. As a matter of fact the sensor made it a bit of a bitch to get the old timing belt off as it wouldn't let the sheetmetal washer (timing belt guide) slide off the crank. Could this sensor be what the sensor on the aux sprocket is intended to do on later vehicles?

I dunno.

RonD · May 3, 2016

When distributors were removed there still needed to be a timing mechanism for Spark and Fuel injection.

CKP(crank position) sensor was added, that is on all distributorless engine.
The part you said was in the way, there is a special alignment tool for that but many just put it back on and are fine.
If CKP sensor isn't working engine can not start, this is the only sensor that can prevent an engine from starting and stall engine if it fails.

CPS(cam position sensor) was for sure on Calif. vehicles but could be on others as well, it was for SEFI(sequential fuel injection), and better fine tuning for spark timing.

The CPS sensor would be on a back timing belt cover behind AUX gear if you have one.
If you don't then AUX gear is just to power the oil pump, so no timing needed.

Paladin5469 · May 3, 2016

I suppose that makes sense.

I didn't remove the Crank sensor. I managed to work around it as the timing belt guide was the big obstacle.

My hunch is that the aux sprocket does nothing but spin the oil pump in 89 - 94 2.3s given the lack of timing marks.

I suppose the next step is to button it all up and see if it fires up.

Mark_88 · May 3, 2016

These are non interference engines so if you put it back together and it does not start or is not in proper timing it will not damage anything (typically)...unless you've had serious head shaving or other work that would put the valves closer to the moving pistons than they normally would be...but this you would know if your belt blew while the engine was running you'd have bent something.

So, anyways, don't be afraid to put it back together wrong...

The cam gear might go on backwards putting the diamond or triangle on the other surface...can't remember exactly if there was something preventing that from happening or not...but that might explain why you don't see the marks.

timing up my engine

Paladin5469

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Mark_88

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RonD

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Mark_88

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Paladin5469

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RonD

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Paladin5469

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