Timing Chain - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

mnrolla · 03-26-2006, 02:59 PM

98 Corolla engine. #1 cylinder at TDC. There are 3 colored links on the timing chain. According to the manual the one farthest from the other two is aligned with a mark on the crankshaft sprocket. The cams are aligned with two marks aligned and parallel to the top of the head. The colored link closest to the colored link on the crank is put over the mark (not same mark as the aligned marks) on the intake cam and the other colored link is put over the mark on the exhaust. I did have to rotate the cam slightly with a wrench to get them lined up. The chain slack all goes on the side with the tensioner.

My question is should these colored links line up with the marks when the engine is rotated? Granted they don't on the first time, but I've rotated the engine 9-10 times and they don't line up again. No valves are hitting the pistons. So are these marks for installation only? Thanks.

(Oh btw I did get the hydro lock problem figured out. I had put the 'heater hoses' that belonged on the throttle body onto the intake manifold.

Thanks again

Bill

mnrolla · 03-26-2006, 05:53 PM

Never mind I got it figured out. The manual does say the marks should line up after rotating. So I took it apart again and discovered that when I put it together the first time I didn't mount the stationary chain guide first, then the bottom sprocket & chain. Makes a big difference getting the slack out!

Bill