[iamarunner2014]

Hello all, new to the forum and dohc timing. I was driving my focus down the street after having just pulled away from a light when the timing belt broke. I knew it was because I pulled the cover back a bit and confermed it on the side of the road. I had AAA tow it to the house and that is where the trouble began. It is really starting to make me look like a mook.
I have had it apart 4 times now and i am following directions from this site and ot just wont fire up. The first time it seemed like it was turning right but wouldnt start, the second time it sounded like it had no compression. As did the third and forth.
I am using the bar for the cams and the pin for the crank. I set the cams and place the bar, stick a screw driver in the number 1 cylinder and turn the crank till it is at the top then put the pin in and turn the crank till it stops at the pin. Put the belt on and put everything back together and nothing.

 

[sailor]

Just which model zetec? (not the SVT?)

How far are you turning the crank to set it against the pin?

Any more description on the procedure you used?

 

[iminhell]

Look elsewhere. Timing the zetec with the proper tools is pretty foolproof. So being you've done it the same way 4 times now, odds say it isn't the problem.

 

[iamarunner2014]

When the piston is at the top and i set the pin i turn the crank to what feels like bdc and it hits the pin.

 

[iamarunner2014]

But the first time i did it the sound was that of a motor out of time. The second time it sounded like no compression. Just seems weird.

 

[sailor]

When the piston is at the top and i set the pin i turn the crank to what feels like bdc and it hits the pin.

180 degrees off doing it that way.

You need TDC #1 to set the cam timing.

 

[polygon]

I hope yours its not an interference engine !

As sailor said, your #1 piston is off the mark. Once you insert the timing pin, turn the crank slowly in the direction of its natural rotation only (I believe yours is clockwise) and once you hit the pin, #1 piston (the one at the cam belt end) should be at TDC. Verify this with a screwdriver through the spark plug hole.

 

[Mikey27]

When the piston is at the top and i set the pin i turn the crank to what feels like bdc and it hits the pin.

Rotating engine backwards...
Timing is set with #1 piston at tdc. I've timed zetec's with and without vct, only locking the cams, as long as #1 is at tdc, that's all that matters.

 

[iamarunner2014]

Ok. When i have the screwdriver in the number one cylinder and the screw driver is as high as it goes I set the crank pin and when I turn the motor clockwise (natural rotation) the screwdriver looks as though it is as far down as it can go.
Am I supposed to turn it counter clockwise?

 

[polygon]

I'm confused now...you seem to be saying that it locks on the pin at BDC of piston #1. Let's check something before we go any further - align the cam and insert the bar in the timing slots. Do you see the piston #1 valves closed - the cam lobes would either be just touching or completely clear from the tappets.

 

[Mikey27]

Ok. When i have the screwdriver in the number one cylinder and the screw driver is as high as it goes I set the crank pin and when I turn the motor clockwise (natural rotation) the screwdriver looks as though it is as far down as it can go.
Am I supposed to turn it counter clockwise?

Like I said, timing is done with #1 (the cylinder closest to the belts/passenger side) at tdc, forget the crank pin if it's not working for you, just make sure cylinder 1 is exactly at tdc. Then lock cams and install belt.

 

[Mikey27]

I'm confused now...you seem to be saying that it locks on the pin at BDC of piston #1. Let's check something before we go any further - align the cam and insert the bar in the timing slots. Do you see the piston #1 valves closed - the cam lobes would either be just touching or completely clear from the tappets.

The bar will only go in with the cams on the right stroke, if it is 180 out, the grooves will sit low and not allow the tool to lock them. This is all irrelevant to him not being able to lock the crankshaft in the right position, which is his obvious issue, if he timed it with #1 at or near bdc, it will not work. Good thing this isn't an svt....

 

[iamarunner2014]

That is true. It will not work. The cam lobes are where they should be. The bar wont go in both without them the right way. That part is the easy part. The crank though it the problem. Why would the pin be locking at BDC? I thought it would be fool proof too. So I am not supposed to turn it backwards to rest on the stop?

 

[polygon]

Assuming that the belt was off, I was trying to help you determine if the valves correspond to cylinder #1 BDC when both cams are locked. Personally I wouldn't proceed until I find out why the timing pin is locking the crank when piston #1 is at BDC. Are you sure you're using the right sized pin ?

 

[iamarunner2014]

Yeah the pin and bar are ford. Any thoughts on why it would lock at BDC? Anyone seen that before? It isnt like the crank turned itself 180. Tomorrow i am going to set it at TDC without the pin and see if it runs. I cant tell you how happy i am that this is not an interference motor.

 

[iamarunner2014]

Ok I have decided that tomorrow i am going to turn the motor counter clockwise to see if the pin locks at TDC. Whats the worst that can happen? I already cant get it to run. lol

 

[polygon]

Do you have a Woodruff key on the crank ? AFAIK, this should point straight up when cylinders #1 & #4 are at TDC.

 

[iamarunner2014]

Yes I do.

 

[polygon]

So can you check where it points when cylinder #1 is at TDC and BDC ?

 

[iamarunner2014]

When I set it at TDC the woodruff key points up. Then I set the pin and I didnt see where it was pointing but the screwdriver was all the way down when it rests against the pin.