How do I find top dead center?
 

I am currently putting the head back on my 93 civic EX. I have the head and timing belt on, the cam pulley's up position is pointing straight up and the line on the crank sprocket is lined up with the notch on the timing cover. My rotor button is pointing to the left when looking at it from the passenger side fender. Is that where it should be? When I rotate the crank 180 degrees the rotor points up, shouldn't it be pointing toward the #3 cylinder? I'm in the process of adjusting my valve lash and nothing is lining up the way it should going by the haynes manual. Please explain!!!!

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

take out the spark plug in the #1 cylinder and get a long screwdriver and put it in there. turn the crank until it hits its highest point and you have tdc.

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

Correct me if i'm wrong, but there should also be a mark on the crank pulley to tell you when you're getting close to TDC in relation to the lower timming belt cover.

Stan

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

there is a mark on the crank pully to line up with the cover and a mark on the crank timming belt sprocket you line up with lower housing if its apart :P

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

i would say go to the library and check out, or copy a page from the chiltons manuel or haynes manuel if they have one. that should help ya out, thats what i always have done for a long time..

if not.. i think its on spike tv.. you just have to watch the tv guide channel, and it will tell you where its at ;) its all about motorocycles.. not too cool though.


good luck

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

That's what I thought, I couldn't remember. :)

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

Nice. :D

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

ghetto, just use the timing marks.

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

Sometimes you have to when the crank pully is so faded and fucked up that you can't read the marks.
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Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

also as you get closer to turning it to TDC it should get tighter and harder to turn, unless your motor is old and loose

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

that might work on a 1 cylinder ::)

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

it works if your looking to see which pistons are coming to TDC

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

I guess you could do it if the other spark bolts were out :P

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

Take out your spark plugs, and stuff a paper towel down into cylinder #1's plug hole. Now have some one crank the car in short bursts. When the paper towel pops out, it's near TDC. Then just use the timing marks to line it up. If there are no marks then you're fucked. LOL. Then I'd say use the screwdriver.

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

and you guys say my methods ghetto ::)

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

I dont even know what to say :-X

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

What in the ----? Have you done that? What's wrong with a screwdriver? ???
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Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

That's how they do it in the local community college auto class. ASE certification hah. The paper towel has less of a chance at scratching the piston then the screw driver.

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

I would think if you were a ase certified tech you would have a compression tester, not a roll of paper towels for engine diagnostics ::)

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

Scratching the pistons with a screw driver? lol.. come on man, people have used that trick forever. It's not going to scratch anything. Just rotate the engine over until the screw driver comes to the highest point, make sure the cam is at the correct mark too (align the cam gear to the head) So its not 180 off.

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

those morks on the pully are little notches, just dig around with your fingernail until you feel them then mark with white-out. oh and there are manuals in the tech forum.

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

Ya that piston is movin really fast turning the pulley by hand LOL

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

Geez, you'd really have to put a gouge in that piston to affect anything. :P
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Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

Bingo... The crank rotates 2x for every cam turn, so you need to get your cam at TDC (which is pretty easy if you can read the letters "UP") and there's only 2 possible positions for the crank. If the crank is wrong, it needs to be rotated 180 degrees.

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

How about the 'right' way? ;D

Take a long dial indicator, and rotate the crank counter clockwise until the dial indicator stops rising. Mark that spot. Then, rotate the crank the other direction(clockwise), until the dial indicator stops going up again, and mark this spot. True TDC, is directly between these two marks. If you don't do it this way, you'd be surprised at how far off 'true' TDC can really be, especially when using the screwdriver trick (it can get close though, no doubt... i've used it many-a-time)...

But that paper towel "trick"... is for the birds. Don't trust your engine to anyone that relies on the paper towel popping out to set TDC ::)

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

More common to have a screw driver in the average persons toolbox than a long ass dial indicator ;)

Really if you want to get picky, just pull the front timing cover and align the front crank gear to the mark on the oil pump and you know your dead on.

Re:How do I find top dead center?
 

;) serious! you guys are making it more difficult than it really is.

assuming the belt isnt on the cams or on the crank rotate the crank till you get the single otch on the mark for the bottom end. then align the cam gear to its specified TDC position put belt back on and tighten it. done! now rotate the crank and make sure its nice and tight and on the mark!

BTW valve lash adjustment is 180 degrees at a time and di it 1-3-4-2 or else you wont have it done right.

good luck

good point ;)