Curse is LIFTED!
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More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Sweden
Curse is LIFTED!
I've had this '87 302 E150 camper van for like 5 yrs now. Back when I got it, it had 100k on it, ill-maintained, so I had a mechanic do the water pump & timing chain before doing any real driving. It has always been cursed with really low pickup and barely kept up on the highway.
Now after this slipping timing chain fiasco 35k miles later, I know for sure what's been ******* this thing. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS NEVER INSTALLED WITH THE CAM ALIGNED! How do I know? Well, with the new timing chain, she's got plenty more get-up-and-go than before, it put it mildly. I haven't taken it out on the highway yet, but there's an obvious difference here just on the street.
Can't wait to see what it does on the highway, and what kind of mileage I can get.
Now after this slipping timing chain fiasco 35k miles later, I know for sure what's been ******* this thing. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS NEVER INSTALLED WITH THE CAM ALIGNED! How do I know? Well, with the new timing chain, she's got plenty more get-up-and-go than before, it put it mildly. I haven't taken it out on the highway yet, but there's an obvious difference here just on the street.
Can't wait to see what it does on the highway, and what kind of mileage I can get.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 14,947
Likes: 6
From: Topsfield, MA
It probably was not misaligned as in by a tooth. It would not run much if it was misaligned that much...there was probably just slack in the chain causing a slight misalignment but, definitely not by a tooth. I'm basing this a little bit off of what I read in a book of mine where he said something like:
At 165,000 miles this motor finally decided to stop running after the timing sprocket skipped a tooth on the chain putting it out of alignment with the camshaft.
I would say 1 tooth is enough to make it so the motor barely runs....
Most likely your engine was properly setup, but had slack in the chain. My 302's chain was a little sloppy at 105k miles. Not enough to make it run bad, but definitely a bit looser than the new timing chain I have on my new motor. You could turn the crankshaft just a slight bit before the camshaft would turn (did this test by hand and observation).
At 165,000 miles this motor finally decided to stop running after the timing sprocket skipped a tooth on the chain putting it out of alignment with the camshaft.
I would say 1 tooth is enough to make it so the motor barely runs....
Most likely your engine was properly setup, but had slack in the chain. My 302's chain was a little sloppy at 105k miles. Not enough to make it run bad, but definitely a bit looser than the new timing chain I have on my new motor. You could turn the crankshaft just a slight bit before the camshaft would turn (did this test by hand and observation).
