Installing timing chain . What order do I need to go??

[01Ranger86]

Hey everyone, this is my first post. Short story break down... I broke a bolt removing my water pump which caused a cascade of events and now I am about to replace my timing chain/ gears. I've never been this far in my engines guts so this is all a good learning experience.

When I was removing my harmonic balancer bolt, I'm pretty sure I moved my engine out of top dead center where it needs to be. I am about to replace the timing chain/ gears but do not what to install the new set until I am in for sure TDC. ....... My question is if I rotate (using my old chain/ gears) to where both my timing gear dots are lined up (6 oclock for upper, 12 oclock for lower) will I technically be in TDC? Then I can install my new timing chain/gears? The timing chain was extremely loose and may have adjusted itself over the years I realize.

I attached a picture of where I am at, just looking for some tips on what the next steps should be as I do not want to install this new set of gears and chain and be out of top dead center.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[RonD]

3.0l Vulcan engine is a non-interference engine, so at no time can the pistons and valves hit

So turn the crank and/or cam as much as you need to to line up the two "dots", seen here: https://www.fixya.com/uploads/images/26e6ce2.gif

Pretty standard setup for most OHV engine, you won't hurt anything

Take all the spark plug out first, of course, or crank will get stuck on compression stroke

I see the dot on the cam at about 3:30, in your picture, so you are not near TDC
Don't see the dot on the crank gear so keep turning it

Dot on crank will be at 12:00 when cam dot is at 6:00 AND 12:00 BOTH, when its timed correctly
It doesn't matter which position for cam dot you use, 6 or 12, they are both TDC, 6 is just easier to align

You can just pull off the old gears and chain, then turn the crank and cam to line up the Keyways, then install the new gears and chain


Its a 4 stroke engine which means each piston must travel through 4 "strokes" to finish one full cycle
so piston goes from bottom to top as 1 stroke, then top to bottom for stroke #2, then bottom to top and top to bottom again for 4 strokes
So Crank shaft must turn TWO full turns for ONE full turn of Cam
If you want to count them, the Cam gear will have exactly twice as many teeth as Crank gear

 

[01Ranger86]

Thanks RonD! That's what I was hoping to hear. I'm going to start working on it today and will give you an update.