03 C70 timing setting after head rebuild

[Plova25]

I previous posted a thread asking for advice on the amount of damage that would be acceptable after the valves hit the top of the pistons for my son's 03 C70 after the water pump froze. I appreciate all the input and I am now at the point of getting the head back on. I have searched through the threads and could not find anything that matches my situation so hence the new post. Engine is the 2.4l turbo (LT) - CVVT.

I want to make sure that I have a basic understanding of setting the timing before doing anything. The shop took the gears off the cams while setting the valves but did not make marks on how they were aligned on the cams. From some tutorials online I have seen that what needs to be done is the following:

1.) Turn crank to TDC (Is this turned before of after the head is bolted to the block ?)

2.) After head is bolted to the block & Cam seals in place, seal the cam cover on with anaerobic, let dry (will do with the cam cover
hold down tool)

3.) Align the cams at rear with the cam alignment tool - with printed part No. facing down for the intake and up for exhaust.
It seems that the cams can be rotated 360 degrees on their own without valve / piston contact. Is this correct ?

4.) Install the cam gears. My question here is if the cam gear timing marks line up with the marks on the timing cover. In other
words, does aligning the cams at the rear with the alignment tool put the cams at the "front" in alignment for the gears to go on?

5.) Put the TB back on a follow the standard procedure for doing so. After TB back on crank engine manually to test.

In one tutorial it mentioned that to reset timing when the cam gears were removed that the starter had to be removed and then a procedure done to a locking tool at the starter and moving the crank. I think this was for an 850 so I don't know it this applies here.

Thanks

[abscate]

I’ll try to link you to,threads with pictures but you’ve got the idea basically right.

The rear cam position sets you up to bolt on a non VVT hub in the correct one of three positions.

A CVVT hub is a bit more complicated as the mark moves with the hub.

But....the crankshaft timingmark is NOT TDC. It’s the exact opposite , a place where all pistons are safe from being hit in all five cylinders

[Plova25]

Thanks much for doing this. You were basically reading my mind as the reason for asking the question. Since the timing would all be off between the crank and the current valve placement (especially since it was rebuilt) in the head I did not want to assume anything and could see the chance for immediate valve contact. From left to right Cylinder No.1 is few inches from TDC and No.5 is very close but no quite at TDC so it makes sense that the crank would not be set at TDC.

I am waiting for the cam cover draw down tool so I have a few days before I can start that part.

Best,

Jeff

[Plova25]

Edit from my original post:

When I referred to setting the crank to TDC I should have stated "turn the crank so that the timing mark on the crank lines up with the mark on the block as I understand that this is not necessarily TDC. In this case there should be clearance on all 5 cylinders - Correct?

[abscate]

Correct. You won't damage the Pistons or valves if they tap under hand tool pressure, by the way. Of course, if you really gorilla them maybe you could do damage, but a few people here have lost synch and Had to work the cams back into place.

I just wrote up my CVVT exhaust timing belt and found it was much easier to reinstall on the water pump than the tensioner puller.