Complete timing guide for CA18ET 4 spark

Ok trying to make it easy....this is the way I rebuild my engine.
The positions are measured when engine was vertically positioned in motor bench.

(if head installed, loosen the valve guides to prevent valves touch pistons)

1.Turn crank to position where the pulleys second mark from left matches to mark on the lower timing belt cover.(exact point was 1.2 degrees wrong marked by manufacturer on my engine).Now if pulley is been removed, the "locking pin" on crank shoud be almost at 12 o`clock.(350deg).

2. Remove the cam pulley locking bolt and look for locking pin on cam end.On tdc it shoud be pointing at 12 o`clock and in this line there is dot on pulley(only dot in this line,triagle mark now pointing almost 6 o`clock).if valve cover removed,nro 1 cyl cam lobes are pointing downwards.

3.Install timing belt and verify the two marks on belt whith dot on crankpulley and cam pulley.Install crank/cam pulley and turn two full rounds clockwice.Now tighten bolts on belt tensioner.Cam pulley dot shoud point 12 o`clock again.

4.Then look inside the distributor.There is four marks(holes) on inner line in angleplate.Nro 1 cyl tdc mark is square and other tree are lines.Install distributor and check that black photo diode cover is on 12 o`clock and rotor is in 2 o`clock(nro 1 cyl in distributor cover).
Now square mark on angleplate is pointing almost 12 o`clock.Sparkleads anticlockwise=1-3-4-2

5.Adjust timing whith strobelight to 15deg.(second mark from right in crankpulley).

Hope this resolves some timing broblems whit this engine.........
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RS12 CA18ET

I thought that the firing order was 1-2-4-3. It seems to be on mine!

Are you sure that when No. 1 Piston is at firing TDC, that the triangle (on cam pulley) is at the bottom? I thought it should be at the top.

Surely the cam lobes for number one cyl will be pointing up if you are on the firing tdc?

Just checking, as mine is now in the garage. They are trying to get it running properly after I did an engine swap

Everything seems ok, except when the second from left crank pulley mark is lined up with the indicator on the cover, the triangle is pointing at about 11 o'clock, which means (if I am thinking right!) that the exhaust valve will open a little early reducing power, and the intake will open early, maybe causing misfires, as the piston is still on the last bit of exhaust stroke.
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She's 20 years old now and every time I get inside her, I push a bit harder icon_biggrin.gif She needs to blow a lot more than she is doing to get me excited !!

Check this out...http://www.datsuns.com/development/tune-ups.htm
about firing order....EDIT=you are talking clockwise right? distributor is spinnig anticlockwice while cam and crank are spinnig clockwise on my engine:)

I heard there are different campulleys installed in these engines so mine coud be different than yours.
Maybee I take some photos to you, they always are better than words.Is it possible to install yours campulley in two different position?
On my engine it´s possible.I am sure about these camlobe positions....picture to you coming up this weekend about that too.....
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RS12 CA18ET

This shoud help to undestand what I mean icon_smile.gif



Picture linked from autorepair.about.com
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RS12 CA18ET

hey,

You were right, the cam was 180deg out.

I didn't think it would run at all, but as the mechanic pointed out, with the dizy in the position it was in relation to the cam, the plug positions were displaced on the cap, and that allowed it to run, but everything was actually timed up on no four cyl.

Firing order on mine is definatly 1-2-4-3 though.

Cheers for all your help though. icon_lol.gif Now all I have to do is fix gear change and stop the orange rubber bung from poping out when the boost is turned up. It is dead boring running with only 6psi boost !!

I will put a seperate post about the gearbox prob though
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She's 20 years old now and every time I get inside her, I push a bit harder icon_biggrin.gif She needs to blow a lot more than she is doing to get me excited !!

Has any one of u tryed to set the ignision for a higier degre the 15 and did it any good?
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ChEsTeR icon_biggrin.gif
Silvia 88 CA18ETi Nissan
http://members.cardomain.com/chester_000

Notice that while engine is turning clockwice, dist is turning anticlockwice.
So firing order in engine is 1-3-4-2 but in dist you set wiring in opposite direction.
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RS12 CA18ET