Setting the timing

[gtsxtt]

im looking to buy a 93 d16z6 honda del sol. it has the head removed im installing the new head gasket. i was wondering how hard it is to set the timing though? thats really the only thing im worried about.

thanks

[aaronfelipe]

Not hard at all, you need to align two marks at the bottom of the block and two at the top.

[B18C5-EH2]

It's a bit more complicated than is being described.

If you've got the crankshaft pulley and lower timing cover off then there is only one mark on the crank gear to line up with the timing mark on the oil pump housing - that's not very hard or confusing.

The confusing part that most people make mistakes with is if the lower cover and crankshaft pulley are already back on the engine. There are three possible marks on the crankshaft pulley that can be lined up with the pointer on the plastic lower timing cover.

USE THE WHITE MARK ON THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO LINE UP WITH THE TIMING MARK ON THE LOWER TIMING COVER

Some people use one of the red marks, and that's wrong.

The next confusing part is on the cam gear. 1.5L engines line up with two timing marks on the cam gear lined up flat with the cylinder head's deck surface, while 1.6L engines have one timing mark on the gear all by itself in the 8 o'clock position or so that lines up with another titt on the plastic upper inner timing cover.

So basically use the white mark on the crankshaft pulley (or use the mark on the crank gear and line up w/oil pump housing mark) and use the one 8 o'clock mark on the cam gear and line it up with the mark on the upper innr timing cover.

BTW:

Unless you're getting a KILLER deal on this car you might want to reconsider buying any car with a blown head gasket engine, unless you don't mind swapping an entire engine into the car. Honda engines are notorious for having problems after one blown head gasket. Even if the job is done by the book with head resurfacing, valvejob, all torque specs followed a lot of times then engine smokes afterwards and never runs right.

I'd price the car + an engine to get a realistic budget for this car.

[whatever210]

my car doesnt smoke

[B18C5-EH2]

my car doesnt smoke

Was that supposed to be a reply to this topic?

???

[whatever210]

you said a car never runs right and smokes after you replace the headgasket. mine runs 14.6 in quarter and doesnt smoke. there goes your theory.

[B18C5-EH2]

you said a car never runs right and smokes after you replace the headgasket. mine runs 14.6 in quarter and doesnt smoke. there goes your theory.

Ummm...cool I guess? Mine ran 13.3@104mph on a ****ty 2.0 60 footer, so with slicks could be snagging high 12's - what's your point? 1/4 mile times are kind of irrelevant here, aren't they?

Yeah I guess you've shattered my entire mechanical knowledge base now.

That's great that YOUR car has had a successful head gasket job done to it, but buying a car with history unknown and being told "it only needs a head gasket" is a really bad idea.

Many times people overheat the engine so badly that the block deck surface is warped, thus no amount of milling the head and replacing the gasket is going to fix it.

I mean I'm only speaking from experience from having worked with these cars since 1995 so what do I know?

[Batlground]

my car doesnt smoke

you would be 1 car out of hundreds that didnt have a problem.

I tend to agree with Tom on this one.

Heres the thing, if you are buying a car with a blown headgasket, how hot did the car get? how bad was it overheated? will you take the guys word for it?

It takes A LOT OF HEAT to blow a stock headgasket, ive had my car pegging H in my old CRXs many a times because of a cracked radiator an being in the middle of the ghetto and not wanting to stop LOL and i never blew a headgasket.

9/10 times, if the car blew a headgasket ad it wasnt boosted it got so friggin hot you wouldnt believe it. It usually warps the head beyond believe, sinks a sleeve or scars a sleeve, ruins the hone, warps the deck etc etc etc

So we are just trying to warn this kid that if he buys a blown headgasket damaged car, to be prepared to put another motor in it.

Now if you personally own a car, blew a headgasket somehow and replaced it an it works, congrats. Its very rare.

HONDA HEADGASKETS DONT JUST BLOW OR GO OUT