3.8/96 camshaft position sensor - strange instructions?

the rotating vane seems to be fixed relative to the gear - if so, and if the housing shall be 54 deg. off centre, why should I need the synchro tool? As the lower intake is off, I have a perfect line as reference. It does not make any sense to adjust the housing 54 deg. off center line - only if the position of the vane is not adjustable - and what for to find exactly TDC as the gear/vane will fall then only into a certain position?
point is, if I line this up that way I have a slightly different position as before - app. 5-10deg. off. :naughty:

Strange thing - have they been sloppy or am I? :confused:

I never had to mess with the syncro part of the Camshaft Position Sensor.....so I cannot offer any advise on that.....however other members have.

If you are only changing the sensor....there is no adjustment.....2 small bolts hold it in a fixed location on top of the syncro.

If you change the syncro, then you have to position it.....and it can be tricky from what other's have posted.
I guess it is easy to get it 180 degrees out of the correct location.

As there have been posts and pics of worn out gear drives
http://knowhow.windstar-club.de/index.php/Bild:SKN_image17.jpg
it was only a second to pull it out and check on that - and put it in again in exactly the same way as pulled out.
No remarks on the dirt, please :rolleyes: I know, but here it was helpful as it shows the position of the hold-down clamp. That is obviouly off on 54 deg.
As can be seen on the foto, the inner vane looks like fixed to the shaft - not adjustable (as is not mentioned to be adjustable anywhere, Ford manual 03-14-13). When it is seated into the teeth of the gear that can only be in certain positions, which can be distinguished good enough - then - first question - why should it be necessary to have exact TDC?
As the sensor seems also to be in a fixed position on the housing and if that requires 54 deg. to the center line (first mistake here in 03-14-13: in the pic the front of the engine seems to the right, not down) what for would I need any other tool:
as the position of the vane is defined - as well as that of the housing? :confused:

first question solved:
my mistake - Ford was precise, me dummy. Putting a few 90 deg in the shaker plus or minus 54 comes to some confusion. Than a plan is always good, it shows:
Take a 36 on the scale - and - all back where it belongs.
Still leaving the question, what for TDC and to use this 30$ tool?

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As long as the synchroniser unit is not lifted from the front cover ... i.e, the gear on the synchro remains engaged to the gear on the lower shaft ... you are right, there is no need for the alignment tool. If however, the synchro has been lifted and the gears disengaged ... then there must be a "starting point" to assemble things correctly. The crank being positioned so that the #1 cyl is at TDC on compression stroke ... was chosen to be that "starting point". At that point the wand on the sychro is designed to be at a particular position/angle for the timing to be exact. Also the sychro body has to be rotated and secured at its "correct" angle.

Having been thru this excercise a few times, so I think I understand it fairly well ... but, I have to agree ... the instructions are awful!! I use the plastic ($5) tool instead of the protractor because it will be a bit more precise, I think.