Timing up a 4.2 from scratch. help needed

[cupra20v.t]

my engine is out and bits have been removed for cleaning/powder coating etc.

my timing cover has been removed along with the tensioner bolt. Unfortunatley when I used the hub puller to extract the crank pulley sleve it turned the engine over and it turned over with the tensioner bolt out completley.

Today I went to check the valve clearances and on looking at the chain around the crank/cogs above I could see that it was slack (due to no tensioner) and the cog had rotated slighly without the chain moving so my timing is out now.

I have removed the chain now and will remove both cams and measure each shim for thickness'.

But how am I going to time it all up again. I have seen longbows pictures of TDC tools etc and I have no gadgets as slick as that.

Any advice is appreciated, really stuck here and appreciate any help offered.

is it a case of removing the cams, get each bank to TDC on the relevant pistons, then insert the cam as the correct rotation.

what is the firing order on the 4.2 ajp?

[brogenville]

Maybe Im missing something, but how would the timing be out just by having the timing chain tensioner bolt out? Surely as long as the cam wasn't removed from the sproket, and the chain hasnt moved over a link, then everything should be back in the same place when you tension the chain back up?

[cupra20v.t]

the tensioner bolt pushes on the underneath of the chain between the cam sprocket and the centre sprocket. now its removed the chain has dropped slack and dropped off the teeth on the centre sprocket slightly.

when i was using the hub puller it required a lot of pressure to extract the the pulley sleeve off the crank and it rotated the crank which turned the centre sprocket which rotated without moving the chain. I also roated the crank (very slightly) earlier today and i could see the centre sprocket moving without pulling the chain.

I dont know how its hapeneed, but sods law its happened and I need to time in back up.

Edited by cupra20v.t on Sunday 1st March 17:15

[brogenville]

Ok, but surely as long as long as the chain hasn't jumped a link then everything should go back to previous settings once the chain is tensioned again?

Sorry if Im not being very helpful, Im just curious because when I took the timing cover off my engine the chain was slack for a while too, but I always imagined that the timing itself would stay put.

[cupra20v.t]

well i've removed the chain and centre sprocket from the engine all together now.

when I rotated the crank this morning it went so far then jammed. the tension on the rachet attached to the crank nut was tilting the engine an the crank wouldn't jump into an other revolition so im sure the timing is out

[clive f]

remove both cams first, then you need to find TDC on cylinders 1 and 2, (front cylinders on each bank)

with the cams removed its safe to rotate the engine as all of the valves are closed.

[cupra20v.t]

thats tomorrows job.

so remove cams and then find tdc on cylinders 1&2.

its then a job of putting cams back in, in time.