Adjustable Cam Gears

Note: These instructions help with a Timing Belt installation. Installing a pair of manually adjustable cam gears will allow you to fine tune the valve timing. When used properly, the fuel economy, torque, and horsepower curves can be manipulated to the driver's needs. Note: Expensive Equipment (a Chassis or Hub Dyno) is needed for proper tuning of adjustable cam gears after installation.

Submitted by Pimp27 (From the FocalJet Forums) with technical editing from Ax0n and Noresull (FocalJet) These instructions were originally written to help with aftermarket cam gears. These instructions are also quite handy in replacing the timing belt. Simply follow the instructions without loosening the bolts holding the cam gears to the cam shafts.

Jack up the left front side of the car. Take off the wheel. Then take off the cover that goes over the under drive pulley.

Let that be for a while and then take off the valve cover, and the cover that goes over the cam gears (I think it is only held on by two bolts, but I may be wrong). You can do this without removing the motor mount, but you just have to pull on it a lot.

Once all three of those covers are off, remove all of the spark plugs (this makes it really easy to crank the motor over.)

I only know how to do this if you have the aftermarket UDP on. There is a little mark on pulley itself. Use an 18mm socket and turn the motor over until the mark is facing straight down. Then stick a long screw driver in the first cylinder, and you can tell if the piston is all the way up. If it is all the way down, then crank the motor over one more time, until the mark is straight down again. Then the piston should be at the top.

Now this is probably the hardest part of the install. You should have your cam alignment tool (a simple little bar of metal). Another way to tell if you have the #1 piston at the top is if the slots in the end of the cams are horizontal. (these are on the end of the cam on the right side.) Now you need to slide the tool into the end of both cams. Someone needs to turn the UDP back and fourth until you get one side in. then you will probably have to turn the UDP back to get the other side in the slot also. You may have to use a small hammer to tap in into the slots.

Once the cam tool is in the slots, everything is aligned. the cams at the top are aligned and the crank is aligned at the bottom (mark pointing down). Which needs to be when you mess with the timing.

Now for the tensioner part. (of yeah, you will need to remove the coolant and radiator reservoirs) This is held on by a 10mm bolt. When you look at the cam gears, it is the pulley just below them on the left. Now use the 10m socket and loosen the tensioner.

The Ford service manual says:
1. Unscrew the bolt four turns.
2. Position the tensioner so the locating tab is at approximately 
   the 4 o'clock position.
3. Line up the hex key slot in the tensioner adjusting washer with the 
   pointer that is located behind the pulley.

Now you should be able to take off the belt (it should be loose). once the belt is off just let it hang. Take off the old cam gears, with a t-55 torx. Hold the camshafts with a set of vise-grips, as relying on the cam alignment tool can damage both the tool and the camshaft. Go easy on this so as not to strip to bolt, because it is really easy, I know! Now that the old ones are off, you can put the new ones one. Make sure they are at 0 degrees before you put them on, I am not sure if it matters, but it is better to be safe than sorry. It also doesn't matter in what position you put them on, but I would suggest putting them on, so that the marks are both facing the same direction. (Now, the cam tool is still in the slot the whole time!) Once they are on pretty tight, put the belt on. It should only be able to go on in one spot.

Then once the belt is on, you need to tighten the tensioner.

1. Rotate the tensioner locating tab counterclockwise and insert the 
   locating tab into the slot in the rear timing cover.
2. Position the hex key slot in the tensioner adjusting washer to the 4 
   o'clock position.
3. Tighten the attaching bolt enough to seat the tensioner firmly against 
   the rear timing cover, but still allow the tensioner adjusting washer 
   to be rotated using a 6mm hex key.

This will ensure that the belt is tight.

Now, once everything is back on, take out the cam tool, you may need to tap it out with a hammer. I would just crank the motor over a couple of times by hand, to make sure everything is turning ok. Then put the valve cover back on. You can leave the cam gear cover off. As to my knowledge, it doesn't hurt anything. Now put the spark plugs back in and connect the plug wires. Then put the cover back on that is under the car. Put the wheel back on are you are all set.