http://s816.photobucket.com/albums/z...t=DSCF2144.mp4

The dots line up when the gears are on without the chain, but I can't seem to get the gears on WITH the chain. WTF?!

It's like the chain is just too short! I'm using a Comp double roller part # 2100

 

1. The 2100 is not a roller set. Not double, not even single. That's what those of us who know what we're doing call those cheeeeeeep under-$20 "truck roller" setups sold by anybody that sells them. It "looks like" a roller, but it isn't; it has bushings instead of roller bearings. You don't want that. It "stretches" (actually, wears) worse than a stock Link-Belt style. Get a 3100 instead, which has actual roller bearings.

2. If the chain is too short, it's too short; no matter where the dots are. Looks to me like you're properly lined up at #1 TDC, but #6 firing; if you slide the crank gear back off a bit, put the chain around both sprockets (they're not "gears"), start the bolts with your fingers, and slide the whole assembly back on together, they'll go right on. But don't worry about that until you get a decent timing set.

 

I had the dots lined up before removing the gear drive, and the chain still just won't go on. Somethings just not feeling right because I've done this before without a problem.

I tried sliding the assembly on together and no dice either.

 

Here's a summary (tell me if i'm incorrect)

1 - install both gears and line the timing marks up (cam gear 6 o'clock, crank gear 12 o'clock)

2 - then remove the cam gear and install the chain on it

3 - with the chain hanging off the cam gear, install the chain around the crank gear, then slide the cam gear on the cam and bolt it up.

Simple as that right?!

 

Instead of installing and uninstalling the sprockets first, just hang the chain off the cam gear, loop it over the crank gear, then rotate the cam to align the dowel pin and then slide it on and bolt it up.

 

I bought a timing set from advance just to make sure the comp set I have wasn't incorrect. Same result with the advance set, so at least I know it's not the timing set.



So I took off the distributor cap, and the rotor was pointing at #6 instead of #1 meaning #1 was at TDC of the exhaust stroke, not the compression stroke (sofakingdom was right on about that). So I put the gear drive back on and bumped the engine over till the rotor pointed to #1 meaning the #1 piston is now at TDC of the compression stroke. So why are both timing marks pointing 12 o'clock? I thought at #1 TDC compression stroke the marks should be facing each other.

Also, I'm sure you're going to say just rotate the cam 180* till the marks line up. But doing that will completely **** the engines valve timing! The engine was running great before this swap so why should I have move the cam independently AT ALL?!?!

 

End of thread......I finally got it on. After some adjusting in very small increments, it went on. Thanks for everyone's help.

 

Rotate the crank exactly 1 full turn and see where the dots end up.

That's why they're commonly assembled "dot to dot". It's easier to see the alignment that way. But, that's the OTHER instance of #1 TDC besides #1 firing, namely, #6 firing. To get from there to #1 firing, you just rotate the crank exactly one turn, and it will then be just like you have it in your pics.

Glad you found I was right; not that I'm surprised, but still. And of course, glad you got it solved.

 

The sprockets are dot-to-dot at #6 firing. Both dots are at the top at #1 firing.