Crappy timing, heat and all!

[Bobo]

Did you take the front clip or radiator off for better access?

Radiator is out, grill and hood are off and AC condenser can swing up and lay on RF fender to give best access

 

[2ndAmend]

I LOVE 2nd gen Camaros and firebirds! I’ve had problem 10-12 different ones over the years and my top pick of each is a 1979 Trans Am gold edition and my mostest favoritist will always be 1980 Z28 with 4spd and T-tops!! Hands down my favorite and I’ve had 5 of that exact set up!

My first choice was a Trans Am 6.6 T/A (the real 400), 4sp, but there were few 400's left in 79, they went into some special edition, all the rest had the 6.6 Liter (403) with the auto, no thanks. I found a couple 78 leftovers, one on a dealer's lot, but when I saw it, a brief summer rain just passed and the dust turned into brown spots all over the shiny black paint, I passed because black is absolutely impossible to keep clean (maybe I should have taken it). The other was purchased a year earlier and garaged, had about 100mi on it, but since it was a year old, no warranty, passed. Z28 was the last choice, but it was fun! Surprising how much fun you can have with a 175hp V8!

 

[Bobo]

Well?! It’s together

It turns over, tried to fire and it started for about 4 seconds but in the end no go. I’m trying to load Jon’s tune but there’s an issue there that I need Jon on. It won’t let me restore the original tune either, so until I hear back from him I’m afraid I’m at a stand still.
I’m 99.99% sure I’ve gotten everything done correctly as it’s just follow directions and basic mechanical knowledge.

Good note, I lost a 7mm 1/4” drive socket somewhere around the garage and I did not have any crunching when it turned over🥴so I didn’t drop it IN the engine! I pulled fuel pump fuse so if it did crunch it wouldn’t start and destroy everything!

 

[Bobo]

Got tunes loaded but have some serious issues and not sure where to start. Jon is doing everything he can to help me sort it out. Unfortunately it’s a waiting game between try’s and on a weekend to boot.

I don’t expect Jon to do anything on the weekend, I just wish I had definitive answers on might be the issue. I got my brothers OBDii scanner to see what all the codes I’m getting are and if anything is not connected or working correctly.
Getting misfires on cylinders 7-8, TB Needs service, cam sensor location, electrical warning light, etc.

I had no issues before I started this project other than a check engine light for misfire on cylinder 7 which is the lobe/lifter in previous pics
If this was an old small block I would say distributor was 180 out! I am 100% positive that the cam was installed correctly according to the information I have,

 

[Hickster]

Sounds like an illee minanation ov da fitest. 1 aftah 1 aftah anutter. Den play lost und found. I read yoal'ss earlist posts, nice. Groien upster at 16 waas 2 best friends and girl freend. 1 had an Stang Mach 1, 1 had a GTO, exfatha in law had an Ert Ranolds Trans am wit da 6.6 er, galrien suun 2 be an exwifer, GTO and Nova. Eye had gas $$ and it tuuk alot. $.028 cents a gallun. Guud job on da tare dun unda.

 

[Magnified]

So you think the distributor was mounted backwards?

 

[Bobo]

So you think the distributor was mounted backwards?

No distributor, I’m wondering about cam. Pictures are what everything says it should be and what it was when I pulled it. You can see in my picture the cam pin is 180 degrees from what all the instructions and diagrams say it should be. Problem is it runs like it’s 180 out when assembled like the drawing.

 

[Magnified]

Ah, i see where you say IF it was an old small block a few posts up. Read over that the first time.

 

[DaveB]

I had a 2010 GM 5.3 wipe out a lifter and cam. Took it to a shop that does fleet work and has done MANY 5.3 GMs and MANY 5.7 Mopars. Both fail for similar reasons: issues with the cylinder deactivation system (turns engine into a V4 for mileage).

Their system was to not TDC the motor at all. Very carefully mark the positions of cam, crank, chain, etc....then R&R the cam and lifters and reinstall exactly as it came apart. They guaranteed their work and they were 1/2 the price of other quotes I got at the time. Truck ran perfect when I got it back.

 

[Bobo]

I had a 2010 GM 5.3 wipe out a lifter and cam. Took it to a shop that does fleet work and has done MANY 5.3 GMs and MANY 5.7 Mopars. Both fail for similar reasons: issues with the cylinder deactivation system (turns engine into a V4 for mileage).

Their system was to not TDC the motor at all. Very carefully mark the positions of cam, crank, chain, etc....then R&R the cam and lifters and reinstall exactly as it came apart. They guaranteed their work and they were 1/2 the price of other quotes I got at the time. Truck ran perfect when I got it back.

That's what I am afraid that I should have done. Part of the reason I did TDC and took a pic of cam location but I was worried that the cam skipped a bunch of teeth when it started back firing and lost all it's power. It was basically 180 degs out from instructed position when I pulled gears but I reinstalled as instructed. I am just wondering if I need to pull it apart and rotate cam 180 degs???????? Truck ran very smooth when I put it in to start the job, started as soon as I hit the key also. Now it just turns over and I have to pump the gas to get it to fire.
Plus there was a lot of wear on the timing chain, the tensioner was about maxed out travel wise, the new one barely moved when I pulled the pin.

Suggested that I include @Hatermkr to get his thoughts. It would not be that hard to do and I would not need to pull heads again to do it just the WP and front timing cover, accessories. Maybe a one day thing but I don't want to do it on a hunch.

 

[Hatermkr]

That's what I am afraid that I should have done. Part of the reason I did TDC and took a pic of cam location but I was worried that the cam skipped a bunch of teeth when it started back firing and lost all it's power. It was basically 180 degs out from instructed position when I pulled gears but I reinstalled as instructed. I am just wondering if I need to pull it apart and rotate cam 180 degs????????
Suggested that I include @Hatermkr to get his thoughts. It would not be that hard to do and I would not need to pull heads again to do it just the WP and front timing cover, accessories. Maybe a one day thing but I don't want to do it on a hunch.

The cam has a line up pin that can’t be moved if I’m reading this correctly. With the 180 turn.
Should be upper gear at 12 lower at 6 line threw the to marked keys on the chain in upper gear the lower one on the mark on the gear one on the chain. This makes sure when pin pulled on tensioner you’re dead on.

 

[Bobo]

The cam has a line up pin that can’t be moved if I’m reading this correctly. With the 180 turn.
Should be upper gear at 12 lower at 6 line threw the to marked keys on the chain in upper gear the lower one on the mark on the gear one on the chain. This makes sure when pin pulled on tensioner you’re dead on.

That is 100% how I installed it, checked it 3-4 times to make sure.
Lower crank gear has 1 dot and 1 dark link in the 6 O'clock position with upper (cam) gear has 1 slot lined up between 2 dark links at the 12 O'clock position Just like in the procedure listed above.
I was just so concerned about the cam being opposite of what it should be when I dissembled the timing gear. I am at a loss as to what is going on. My brother is coming over this afternoon to help me run his scan tools for the error codes and verify all my electronics and sensors.

 

[Hatermkr]

That is 100% how I installed it, checked it 3-4 times to make sure.
Lower crank gear has 1 dot and 1 dark link in the 6 O'clock position with upper (cam) gear has 1 slot lined up between 2 dark links at the 12 O'clock position Just like in the procedure listed above.
I was just so concerned about the cam being opposite of what it should be when I dissembled the timing gear. I am at a loss as to what is going on. My brother is coming over this afternoon to help me run his scan tools for the error codes and verify all my electronics and sensors.

You did it correctly than.