» Site Navigation | | » Recent Threads | | looove 04-16-2024 01:18 PM 04-16-2024 01:18 PM 0 Replies, 2,012 Views | | | | | 08-25-2010, 04:19 AM | #1 | Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 8 | New user needs help Hello everyone. I have a '95 318ti and it is not running I bought from someone very cheap because it was overheating. After some diagnostics, I decided to replace the head gasket. I hit a stumble putting it back together as the engine time is different from any other that I've done. I have researched and found that I need an alignment tool and was able verified that information on this wonderful website. So, here's my question, is there a difference between the $89 one and the $400 one. I dont normally like buying tools I get to use once, but I put some work into this thing and would to have it running. Would love to hear some feedback. Thanks | | | 08-25-2010, 05:09 AM | #2 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gulfport, Florida Posts: 3,208 | Are you talking about timing the cams? If so I do it without a locking tool. I use a dial indicator to measure valve lift. It's a little more detailed but much more accurate. If your doing the cam timing let me know and I look for the instructions to do cam timing with a dial indication. I locking tool just locks the cam rear lobes in the top position and then you tighten the cam sprockets. Let me know? John S | | | 08-25-2010, 05:19 AM | #3 | Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 8 | It is the cam timing. I sent the head off to be planned and never marked the cams. This is the first I have dealt with that isnt keyed. I have no idea how to get this back in time. I would love some info if you have it. | | | 08-25-2010, 05:40 AM | #4 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gulfport, Florida Posts: 3,208 | If you look on your cam sprockets you can't see the marks from where teh bolts were at? There is usually marks on there from where the bolts were at. Take a look and report back before we get all into this... | | | 08-25-2010, 03:49 PM | #5 | Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 8 | There are marks but they're all symmetric, you can't tell one from the other. If I remember corectly the cams themeselves have arrows but the camshaft does not have any marks on it. | | | 08-25-2010, 06:43 PM | #6 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gulfport, Florida Posts: 3,208 | Arrows point up and on the back of the sprockets you should see exactly where the cams were set. Take a look...You should see a oil mark exactly where the cam bolted against the sprocket backside | | | 08-26-2010, 04:05 AM | #7 | Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 8 | I'm not seeing any differentiating marks. It looks as if it could aligne on any one of the four bolt holes. There is a oil stain differnce, but they are the same for both cams and I dont see a difference between which holes they line up to, everything is symmetrical including the oil discoloration | | | 08-26-2010, 03:01 PM | #8 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gulfport, Florida Posts: 3,208 | Quote: Originally Posted by bustedknuckles I'm not seeing any differentiating marks. It looks as if it could aligne on any one of the four bolt holes. There is a oil stain differnce, but they are the same for both cams and I dont see a difference between which holes they line up to, everything is symmetrical including the oil discoloration | Yes but if you put the cams in with the back square locking lobes pointing up this would be in the locking position if you had the tool, then put the sprockets arrows the arrow up positions and to dial in the cams you line up the oil marks on the back of the cam sprocket to the cam and tighten the bolts. this should be the exact old spot they were in before you took it apart. Did that make sense? | | | 08-26-2010, 06:46 PM | #9 | Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: rockford illinois Posts: 127 | Also You might just want to go down to your local autozone, oreiley, etc... and grab a haynes manual. It has the whole procedure and a paper cut-out of the tool. When I did a head job on a 318 I used that and it worked perfectly! Just take the paper cut-out and glue it to a piece of plywood and gut it out on a scroll saw, bandsaw, etc... Also the book was like $12 when I bought it. | | | 08-31-2010, 05:42 AM | #10 | Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 8 | I was out of town for a few days. I appreciate the info. I am going to check it out tomorrow. I have the Haynes but they dont even mention needing any tool. | | | 09-02-2010, 02:06 AM | #11 | Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 8 | Okay, so I found out I was missing a page in my manuel. Someone had gotten there before me with an exacto-knife. Got the new manuel and fabbed the tools. I should be putting back together tomorrow. Apprectiate the help. | | | | Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | |