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Need: Cam Locking Tool Denver Area

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tightmopedman9
Posts: 30
Joined: 7 December 2012
Year and Model: 1996 855t
Location: United States

Need: Cam Locking Tool Denver Area

Post by tightmopedman9 »

I need to redo the cam timing on my 850 with a RN motor swap. I'll only need the tool for an afternoon and I can get it right back to you. Thanks!

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rspi
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Post by rspi »

What is a RN motor?
'95 855 T-5R M, Panther - 22/28 mpg, 546,000 miles
'95 955 T-5R Yellow Wagon, Lemonade, 180,000 miles
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Volvo's of past: '87 740 GLE, '79 262C Bertone, '78 264, 960's, '98 S70 GLT, '95 850 T-5R YellowVolvo Repair Videos

JimBee
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Post by JimBee »

In a pinch, you can make one that's actually easier to use. I'm attaching a scanned image of the one I made for a summer project. I set this up for my '96 850 turbo on my work bench when I had the cams out. I had a locking tool on the back end, and the template was carefully made so I know it's reliable for that model and year. I ASSUME that all 850 cams are made exactly the same. I do not know that. Perhaps one of the experts on this site can speak to that.

You probably know this, but make sure you align your cam sprockets before removing the old timing belt.

You use the template I'm attaching to set up your sprockets, making sure they're properly aligned at the back end, which you can't see. If the engine ran well, and the camshaft sprockets appear to be properly aligned with the notches on the TB dust cover, you can assume it's properly timed at all 3 points—the crankshaft being the third point (its mark is also extremely hard to see). You should be able to find the tiny strike marks on the rim of the cam sprockets that align with the notches in the dust cover. Mark those with whiteout BUT realize they may not point exactly into the v of the notch, e.g., if somebody had the cam sprockets off to replace the camshaft seals, they may not have put them back exactly as per factory.

Here's where you can use the attached template. If you make one (instructions below), with your sprocket timing marks lined up with the notches, the template should perfectly align with the respective bolt holes and one bolt head on each sprocket. If the holes are off a bit then your cams are off a bit. You can reset them by using the template. You'd need to loosen the third bolt, place the template, align the cams with the holes in the template, align the sprockets with the v's in the notches, then tighten the sprocket bolts.

After you have confirmed proper alignment of the camshafts and sprockets, you don't need the template—or any locking tool.

But you do need a lever tool to pull your timing belt tight around from the crank sprocket over the intake sprocket. This is simple if you have a lever tool. Very hard without one. I made a lever tool from a piece of 1" x 1/8" flat steel and two 1/4" carriage bolts (with 4 nuts to lock the bolts into holes so their heads protrude about 3/4").
You can buy a commercially made tool for around $20.00. That's the one you need, not the $200.00 locking tool.

So, now your cam sprockets are properly aligned on the camshafts, and your crankshaft should be at slightly before TDC (on the timing mark) if you haven't turned the engine. If the engine was turned after the timing belt was removed, the safest way to get it realigned is pull the starter and use a 3/8" socket extension in the hole back there to lock the engine "back, CCW, against the extension."

With everything aligned topside and at the crank, slip on the new TB under the crank pulley. You'll need to remove the steel guard plate (two long screws) and If that motor mount is soft, you might need to jack up the engine a 1/4" or so to slip the belt under. A second pair of hands, or one third hand, is very helpful here—to hold the new belt up under the crank sprocket so the belt's teeth are set into the crank sprocket's teeth, while you're working topside fitting the belt onto the intake cam sprocket.

If you don't have a helper, you can use a small wedge of wood or something to hold it tightly on the underside of the crank sprocket. DO NOT FORGET TO REMOVE IT before you turn the engine.

Then, thread the belt over the idler and up over the intake sprocket. Here is where you need the lever tool. You're going to get the new belt twang tight from the crank up over the intake sprocket (and then over the exhaust sprocket) so when you pull the tensioner pin those sprockets will not move a bit. You'll be controlling the timing alignment perfectly with very little effort. No guesswork needed.

This is easy to do with the lever tool for turning your sprockets with a little force (it really doesn't take much force, but it's not possible to do it by hand).

You might find when you think you have the belt on the right sprocket teeth for alignment when it's tight, then you hand fit the timing belt top cover and see that it's actually off one tooth. No problem if you have the lever tool.

CONSIDER: if you have the cams locked from the back end, logically they can't turn. You want them to be able to turn a bit when you're threading on the belt so you can pull it tight, getting the cams properly aligned, except for the slack on the firewall side that will be taken up by tensioner. That firewall-side slack doesn't affect the timing. But if the belt is not tight from the crank up to and across the cam sprockets, when you pull the pin the sprockets will move. If the cams are locked and the belt is not twang tight from the crank on up to the cam sprockets, when you remove the lock tool, it will be out of time.

One more tip: If you have have a helper, once you have the belt over the intake sprocket and you have levered the sprocket so the belt is tight along that path from the crank on up, and properly aligned with the notch in the top cover, the helper can hold it on the intake sprocket while you fit it over the exhaust sprocket and lever it tight, again checking to be sure the sprocket mark is aligned with its respective notch.

if you don't have a helper, just use a tiny clamp or mini vice grip at about 1:00 o'clock, with extremely light pressure to hold the belt on the intake sprocket while you fit it over the exhaust sprocket. You could even zip tie it at about 1:00 o'clock to hold it in place.

Now with the remainder of the belt fitted around the water pump and tensioner, you'll be ready to pull the pin.

Template spec's:
The length of the pieces is 11 inches. Small holes are 5/16", large holes are 1/2". I used a wood bit that has a center point for the small holes, and a spade bit for the larger holes.

Material? Head to the dollar store and pick up a clip board for a buck or two. It's pressed paper board, very stiff and sturdy enough for this project. It doesn't take much strength to hold your cams in place.

If you can print the templates to scale, cross mark the holes and use a pick or nail to center punch a dimple, then drill 'em, slowly, carefully so you keep the holes to spec and clean.

You'll need to remove 2 of the three bolts that hold on sprockets. The large hole fits around the head of the third one.

You won't need to round off one end like I did. I tried rounding it to see if it helped slipping the belt on, it didn't.
Attachments
Camshaft_locking_template.pdf
Camshaft alignment tool for '96 850 turbo
(979.42 KiB) Downloaded 169 times

tightmopedman9
Posts: 30
Joined: 7 December 2012
Year and Model: 1996 855t
Location: United States

Post by tightmopedman9 »

RN is the revised whiteblock. Solid lifters heads and better ports came in '00. In '05 they got the 6mm valve stems, block windows and a lighter crank, along with other goodies. You can get the whole scoop here: http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/topic/13 ... hiteblock/

JimBee, sorry but this isn't a motor from an 850, it's just in an 850 :wink:

The engine has dual VVT hubs which may or may not need to come off. I'm assuming that they do need to come off, therefore I need something that can hold the cams while I re-tighten the center bolt (it needs to be torqued to 80 ft/lbs!) I've made a cam holder, two in fact, out of tool grade steel. Both bent... Thanks for the advice though!

JimBee
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Post by JimBee »

Aha. The NR went over my head. I'm still in PR (pre-modern) era.
Interesting info in the link, though.

Still, a little more clarification:
Is the NR block a bolt up in an 850?
With a little drilling, and timing control, will an '05 head fit on an 850 block? And if so would the lower end be strong enough?
What will you use for a transmission?

Good luck with the project. It should grab some attention.

tightmopedman9
Posts: 30
Joined: 7 December 2012
Year and Model: 1996 855t
Location: United States

Post by tightmopedman9 »

The swap has been done probably 50 times on VS. I'm running a M56H from a 2002 S70. BTW, it is 'RN' not 'NR'

The most recent thread:
http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/topic/16 ... 0-project/

Tons of reading can be done. Just search in google 'site:volvospeed.com RN swap'

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