ok, just to start the reason I am checking the opti and valve timing is because after having a heads/cam install being done by someone I got my car back running so rich that all the plugs foul out everytime the engine is ran (but it does run), this is after a mail order tune. It also backfires horribly when holding it the gas around 2500rpms and the vaccuum reads out to only 7-9" hg of vaccuum at idle on a 224/224 cam (which is why it runs so rich).

So, I just pulled out my opti a few mins ago and am a little bit confused.. I looked in the opti and can see the "missing tooth" but I was under the impression that there was a bigger spline that matched up with this missing tooth. Looking at the splined shaft shaft, it appears that all the splines on there are the exact same. Am I just blind and not seeing this right?

Also, how exactly is this suppose to go in? When I pulled it off the missing tooth on the opti was right around 12 o' clock, as is the arrow on the hub on the crank and there appears to be no damage to any of the other teeth on the opti, so, does that mean that it was in correctly? Should the missing tooth and the arrow on the hub be facing the same direction to be correctly lined up?

... Assuming the hub was installed correctly, would the spline and hub being lined up also mean that the cam/crank timing marks are also matched up under the timing cover?

 

The splined shaft goes into the timing cover and indexes in the cam timing gear... just keep gently slipping it in and turning it a spline at a time until it goes in easily..
Then eyeball where the 'missing tooth is' and look into the opti, and try to set that at the same 'o'clock' as the missing tooth on the shaft.. then again GENTLY keep trying it until it slips on, and the opti goes against the timing cover without pushing it.. you'll know when it's right there won't be any resistance..
No need to worry about the hub, etc as long as the splines are correct the distributor is timed..
I frankly don't know the relation of the 'missing tooth' in the timing gear to the 'hub arrow'... but I suppose knowing that would save you from removing the timing cover..
Maybe someone has the answer to that, or someone has their timing cover off and can go look.. you are right that, in theory, the relation of the splined shaft notch, to the hub arrow, would show whether the cam is timed correct or not, without removing timing cover
Next Q would be do you know that the HUB is back exactly where it was before the cam install?[there's no key on stock LT1 hub to crank.. ]

 

It seems pretty apparent where it goes in this picture.

 

didn't see that picture initially looking at your page, but it definetly cleared that question right up.

 

I don't actually know if the hub was installed correctly, but I suppose I would be able to check that by simple taking off the valve covers and checking the relationship between the arrow on the hub and what cylinder is at TDC at that time (I need to readjust valve lash anyway)..

So, does anyone know what the relationship between the hub arrow and the big spline are, assuming the hub is on correctly? Should the spline and the hub arrow be pointing at the same O'clock (Ex. hub points at 12 o'clock, should the big spline also be at 12 o'clock)? maybe shoebox knows?

 

I actually just realized this after turning the engine over a complete rotation.. the spline on the end of the camshaft doesn't spin when the engine is turned over (not to sure why).. But it appears that the opti was installed incorrectly by quite a bit initially (unless the rotor ended up spinning some when I was pulling off the wires) because the missing tooth on the opti was at 12 o'clock when it came off and the spline is somewhere around 9 o'clock...

 

Are you sure it isn't turning? The cam has to be turning with the crank ... the car was running right[however badly?]
The timing gear is what has the splines cut into it for the splined coupling shaft..
You do know that that shaft will come out of the timing cover right? maybe it's just in there hanging by the seal and not in the hole in the timing gear
[therefore not turning with the cam?]
Valves are moving when you turn it over right?
If I were you, I'd try to make sure the coupling is in right, and then the opti is on right, then fire it up for a SHORT time [you can run it w/o coolant but NOT for long!]to see if, and how, it runs..
If it seems to run better than it has been, put the WP etc back on, and see if it's better?
Could be a bad opti?

 

The car was running poorly before, I haven't taken off the valve covers but i'm pretty sure the valves are moving. I dont know, I think I was just looking at it wrong or something, cuz you are right the splined shaft would have to move with the cam gear and the shaft it actually in the gear cuz I did pull it out and it did "click" back in when I got it back in the right spot (but I didn't turn the engine after this). As of right now I already drained the oil pan and dropped it down a bit, I just figured I was this far already, mine as well just take the extra time to pull off the front cover and make sure that the valve timing is correct. I kind of suspect that there is a chance that this might be off by a couple degrees, just based on the fact that the vacuum was a good 6-8"hg of vacuum BELOW where it should be (I beleive 14-16"hg vacuum would be normal with my cam). Not too sure if just the distributor timing being off alone would cause that large of a drop in vacuum..