I'm doing a cam swap. I set the engine to TDC(I thought) by putting my finger over #1 spark plug hole, rotated the crank till the I felt the pressure coming out the hole and stopped when the crank hubs TDC indicater mark was at 12 o'clock.
When I took the timing cover off I thought I would find the dot on the crank sprocket at 12 o'clock (which it is) and the dot on the cam sprocket at 6 o'clock. BUT the cam sprocket dot is at 12 o'clock!
Is something wrong here???
Should I take everything off and put the new parts on in this way?
If I rotated the crank will the dots ever line up?

Thankz in advance for your wisdom!

 

I always just lined the dots up regardless of how things were when the motor was taken apart.

 

Are the valves closed?

 

I agree!!! http://www.compcams.com/Technical/Instructions/Files/172.pdf

 

Your crank rotates twice for every rotation of your cam.

In other words, your bottom end is at the same position when the cam gear dot is pointing at 12 oclock as it is when it is pointing at 6 oclock.

Turn the motor one more revolution and you will find they line up 12 and 6 as you were looking for.

No need to remove anything as long as you are sure that both were at exactly 12 and 12. It's easier to line it up by sight with crank at 12 and cam at 6 tho.

 

When the crank dot is at 12 and the cam dot is at 6, the opti is firing #6 cylinder. When the crank dot is at 12 and the cam dot is at 12, the opti is firing #1 cylinder.

Since the opti can only go on one way, it doesn't matter if the crank to cam relationship is either of the above.

 

Nothing is wrong at all.

 

OK, I think I get it. Right now the engine is at TDC, valves closed, firing#1. For installation ease I should rotate the crank once more to line up the dots so I install everything correctly. Although, by doing so I have rotated the engine away from TDC which really doesn't matter. RIGHT?

 

Correct, like you say it is easier to line up the 12 and 6 way.

 

Yeah, that's fine. Rotate the crank one turn from where you are and you are at #6 TDC. It's easier to see and line up the dots when they are together.

 

Sorta, you'll be fine for install purposes.. but.. to clarify..

For the rotating assembly's purposes, when #1 is at TDC, #6 is at TDC. *everytime*

The engine is in the same position when you rotate the crank gear to meet the other dot on the cam gear.

 

COOL! got it, thankzzzzzzzzzzzzzz