'97 Taurus GL Wagon 200.145k: CMP/Synchro Install Question

'97 Taurus GL Wagon 200.145k: CMP/Synchro Install Question

Before pulling the old synchro out (which, as expected, had a completely demolished 'vane'), I marked the position of the synchro body to the block for reinstall. However, it wasn't really possible to clearly mark the 'vane' position because it was mangled/destroyed. The best I could do was to note that one mangled edge of the 'vane' seemed to line up with one edge of the wide opening where the sensor sits.

But I just cannot seem to get the 'vane' to fall back into this same spot upon reinstall UNLESS I rotate the synchro body after dropping it in. Then the mark on the block lines up and the 'vane' seems to be back in its old spot.

Is this acceptable? The manuals say NOT to do this (rotate the synchro body), but I don't see how it matters as long as the synchro body lines up with the mark on the block (and it does), and at the same time the 'vane' (seems to be) lined up where the old 'vane' was (although, like I said - it's hard to tell if it's EXACTLY in the same spot due to the mangled 'vane' on the old synchro).

Does the synchro HAVE to be dropped straight in with everything magically lining up as it turns going in, or is it OK to rotate the body a bit after install to make this happen?

Also, I dipped the lower half of the synchro in 5w-30 oil before install for a few minutes, rolling it around, splashing the oil all over it. This is sufficient, right?

Lastly, is it possible that the 'vane' APPEARS to be back in it's old position but that I'm actually a tooth off? In other words, could one tooth move the vane just a 1/16+ of an inch ??? I tried bending the mangled 'vane' back up straight so that I could better mark its location, but there was NO WAY this was going to happen (the metal was too strong).

Here is a video that might be hopefully

http://realfixesrealfast.com/realfixesrealfast.com/Codes/Pages/P0340_Cam_Sensor.html

Here is a video that might be hopefully

http://realfixesrealfast.com/realfixesrealfast.com/Codes/Pages/P0340_Cam_Sensor.html

Thanks, but that doesn't really help me. I don't have the ridiculously-priced "tool" that holds the 'vane' in place as you install the synchro. I'm just trying to put the new synchro back in exactly like the old synchro came out. Others have done this with success, so it's doable.

One thing I DID get out of that video, however, is - I hadn't thought of rotating the hex shaft to the oil pump. The only problem I have with doing that is - what if the socket falls into the oil pan??? Then I'm REALLY in trouble.

I THINK what I've done will work. The body is where it needs to be, and so the sensor will be right where it was before. The only question is: Am I a fraction of an inch off on the 'vane' inside? Is it possible to be off by such a small amount or are the increments actually much greater - say, a quarter inch?

I'm going to go with what I've got. I think I'm OK. The manuals say not to turn the synchronizer body AFTER attaching the CMP sensor (if it doesn't line up with its old position), but that makes sense because the 'vane' would be turning inside as you did this and now your sensor would be in its old position but the 'vane' inside wouldn't be. As long as my sensor goes back in the same position (and it HAS to because the small notch opposite the wide notch lines up with the mark I made on the block), everything should be OK.

The only thing is: do I have the 'vane' in the same place as before. Not really sure (because of the extreme damage to the vane), but it's VERY close if it isn't exact.

One interesting thing here: the picture in the Hanes manual for the 3.0L OHV CMP shows the sensor turned well away from that large silver 'star' bolt head nearby. On my car, after the plug is attached, there is virtually no gap between the plug and that bolt head. You can just about wedge a tiny slotted screwdriver between the two.

Does this mean that my Taurus' timing is more retarded than the example car in the Hanes book? In other words, their synchro appears to be turned more clockwise (toward the front end of the car) than mine. Does this advance the timing more? The reason I ask is my Taurus has pinged a bit for as long as I can remember. The synchro was last (first) changed by a mechanic back in July of 2002 (79.5k miles) and I'm wondering now if he changed the timing a bit in the process.

Well, the synchro is in, but the car started very rough, stalled a few times, then seemed to run, well ... rough ... so I drove it down the road and back (about 6 miles) waiting to see if the CEL came back ON ... and it DID - flashing ON and OFF! Now the CMP code is gone (and so are the lean codes - at least for now), but I've got a P0301 and a P0306 now.

So I gave up. Tomorrow I guess I'll pull the plugs/wires and replace something. I've had problems in the past (but years ago now) with plug #1 getting fouled and causing the CEL to flash, so this is not new. What I'm concerned about is the possibility of a cracked wire in the cable tray (after shoving it out of the way to get to the CMP sensor/synchro).

The car seems to be running just as poorly as before the synchro was replaced - which means maybe the plugs were fouled before, but the codes just weren't showing up on the OBD port, for some reason. Would the CMP code block the plug codes? Is there as hierarchy to some codes?

Before touching anything any further, I decided to clear the codes and do the same short drive again to see what happened. Pretty much the same rough performance (although it started better), but the codes changed: now it's P0302 and P0306.

So this probably points more toward the synchronizer being off a tooth than the plugs or wires, correct?

What was kind of funny, though, was when the CEL started flashing, the car seemed to start running more smoothly. Maybe just a coincidence?