Setting Cam Timing, 89 Quad 4

[SVTcobra306]

Hello guys/gals,

I'm helping a fellow soldier fix his car, and need some info. It's an '89 Grand Am, has a Quad 4 in it. It idles really really rough, and when you rev the motor you get some popping/backfiring.

He has been told that a valve went bad because of his muffler falling off and it will cost him 1200 to fix it.

I was a Light wheel mechanic for the Army for 4 years and have worked on a lot of stuff from tractors to race cars to humvees/5 tons, and I know that's bull, so I'm helping him out, but I've never worked on a Quad 4 before at all.

Sounds to me like the timing belt has either stretched and jumped a tooth, or maybe the tension just wasn't set right to start with.

So, I'm asking for some help, a step by step on checking/setting the cam timing would be great. Thanks in advance!

[turdcat]

There will be alignment hole in the cam shaft gears. That line up with marks/ holes on the housing. You can stick a bolt in them to hold the top gears. The hole for the rear gear is around 5 o'clock and the front around 6. The bottom crank shaft will have a mark around high noon to line up with the keyway.
Do not turn the cams more than 1/8 turn with the crank at noon. You will bend the valves. might anyway. If you need to turn them more than that, turn the crank to 90 degrees 3 oclock clockwise, then backwards to noon when done adjusting.

If your going to get into it that deep, you better go get a book and read through it first.

[Knifeblade]

I tend to agree with turdcat on getting a Chilton's or Haynes first. From what my chilton's says, it pretty involved, and I have bad feeling just texting it all out sans the accompanying pictures won't be adequate for your repair.

One thing ya can try is www.autozone.com, surf their site, they may have a few diagrams in their repair section that can help ya out.

Tam