{"id":322,"date":"2017-11-27T23:03:35","date_gmt":"2017-11-28T07:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nickpisca.com\/diesel\/?p=322"},"modified":"2018-03-11T01:13:18","modified_gmt":"2018-03-11T09:13:18","slug":"aligning-the-ip-timing-camshaft-and-crankshaft-gears-on-a-6-9-7-3-idi-engine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nickpisca.com\/diesel\/engine\/aligning-the-ip-timing-camshaft-and-crankshaft-gears-on-a-6-9-7-3-idi-engine\/","title":{"rendered":"Aligning the IP Timing, Camshaft, and Crankshaft Gears on a 6.9 \/ 7.3 IDI Engine"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a lot on the net about alignment of the IP, Cam, and Crank gears, but I thought I’d toss in my 2 cents.<\/p>\n

Brief Overview:<\/em><\/p>\n

When working on the crank, cam, and\/or IP, there may be a point in the process where the gears need to be removed.\u00a0 When reassembling the engine, these gears have to be meticulously realigned, in order to ensure proper engine timing.\u00a0 Then these gears are covered up by the Front Plate (aka Front Cover)<\/a> and the IP Gear Housing.<\/p>\n

Some Basics:<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a>If a person can manage it, the best course of action is to never<\/em> remove the gears from their positions.\u00a0 For example, if one has to remove the injector pump, they do not need to pull off the IP Gear House cover.\u00a0 In fact, they can just remove the 5\/16″ head bolts on the timing gear and the IP mounting nuts<\/a>, and they can pull the IP with the Gear in the housing.\u00a0 Since the housing closely surrounds\u00a0around the gear, it won’t hop a tooth, because there isn’t enough room to clear a tooth.\u00a0 But if that person lifts the gear housing off, then they run the risk of accidentally bumping the gear and skipping a tooth.\u00a0 And that would result in incorrect timing and potentially major issues.<\/p>\n

Now some people claim they can find the timing location on the cam gear with the front plate cover installed<\/a>.\u00a0 They use mirrors and dental picks to feel for the “Y” mark or “O” divot in the cam gear.\u00a0 I find that really hard to believe, because even if you can “feel” for the divot, it’s another animal trying to match that with the IP gear.\u00a0 And there is not a lot of room between the front face of the cam gear and the front plate cover.\u00a0 Maybe 1\/4″, and it’s buried deep behind the plate.<\/p>\n

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There are some jobs that require the removal of gears no matter how hard the mechanic tries to avoid it.\u00a0 A crankshaft removal<\/a>, cam removal, and\u00a0IP housing and plate removal<\/a>\u00a0are just a few examples of jobs that will mean realigning the gears.\u00a0 Smart mechanics hold the IP gear while taking the plate and housing off so they can mark the teeth with a paint pen, like the yellow lines in the image below.<\/p>\n

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But let’s just assume that marking the gears are not possible.\u00a0 Like the IP gear fell off the block when you were pulling the housing or plate, or like the crank swap<\/a> I did in 2018.\u00a0 Or you broke a tooth on the gear and had to order a new one.\u00a0 Or you ordered a sweat R&D IDI Performance cam and had to swap over the gear.\u00a0 Well first off, you have to remove the front plate to see what the hell is going on:<\/p>\n

6.9 \/ 7.3 IDI Front and Rear Main Seal Replacement<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n