[RESOLVED] engine has never run "right"

[xdxoxuxgx]

Ok, this is gonna be a long post so I thank anyone in advance who reads the whole thing, and any advice given will be greatly appreciated.
I got my '90 GSX about a year and a half ago, it ran good for about a month until I fried a piston. I took the block and head to a machine shop and got the cylinders bored and wiseco pistons put in, the head and block were both checked over for any other damage and returned to me. I, along with assistance of my older brother and friend who both know a good bit about DSMs, put the rest of the accessories back on the motor and put the motor back in, and that's where the problems began. My engine has never ran "right" since then, it has always been very slow and unresponsive. We have tried numerous part swaps to see if we could find the culprit including: fuel pump, injectors, intake, maf (1g, 2g, and GM), turbo, and cam sensor. We have also tried tuning with ECU+ and an AFC. When I drive, pulling out is a nightmare because the engine just has no torque. I do not build boost until about 3500 rpms, on a 14b, and when the boost gauge reads 15 psi it feels like I'm still going nowhere. We have done numerous boost leak tests and have not come up with anything that would explain such a terrible excuse for a 4g63-t. At idle, my vacuum reads about 13 if I'm lucky, and same when I'm cruising in gear with no throttle. Also, my timing marks do not line up on my cam gears, you people with think I'm crazy when I tell you that the teeth are about 4 notches away from each other, in both directions, when the crank pulley is lined up, though the car still runs "ok", and by ok I mean it doesn't run like it is way out of time. If ANYONE has ANY suggestions to my nightmare I would be more than glad to read them. Again, thank you to those who have read this and if you have any questions that I can clear up for you, feel free to ask.

 

[airmail96]

I know I will not be the first to tell you this, but I think the first thing you need to fix are those timing marks. You need to make sure that they all line up, than let us know.

 

[xdxoxuxgx]

That's what stumps me though, we took the timing belt off, lined everything up, put the belt back on, cranked it by hand a few times, everything still lined up, started the car and let it run for a little, shut it off and checked the marks again and they were just how they were before. I just don't get it.

 

[spoonman]

The white timing marks on the edge of the gears does not mean your timing is off. The pin underneath the cam gear bolt is what needs to be lined up, both should facing the same direction. This is a picture of the pin I am speaking of, both should be in identical positions on both gears.

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[delta448]

Is your tensioner healthy? Your timing is definitely suspect.
Timing Belt VFAQ (Timing Belt TSB - ENHANCED)

 

[snowborder714]

Here's how to check your timing:

1. Get both of the dowel pins on the cam gears to 12 o'clock and line up the 2 inside marks on the cam gears. Then look through the gears and check and see if the marks line up with the valve cover gasket behind them.
2. Check to see if the mark on the crank shaft sprocket lines up with the mark on the front case (if you have your lower timing belt cover off).
3. Check to see if the mark on the oil pump sprocket lines up with the mark on the front case (if you have your lower timing belt cover off).
4. The timing mark on the harmonic dampener should line up with 0 on the timing belt cover (the marks used when checking base timing with a timing light).

Reference this link for pictures/descriptions:
Timing Belt VFAQ (Timing Belt TSB - ENHANCED)

All of those need to be aligned at the same time. If any of those are off, you have a problem. If you don't have the lower timing belt cover off, go take it off and check your marks if you're worried about not being in time. Make sure to only turn the crank clockwise when aligning the timing marks. If they all line up, crank the engine over 6 times and recheck the marks.

 

[ibspoolin2]

Well thanks for all the replies and apparently timing should be my issue, I'll check that hopefully tomorrow morning and get back to you guys with some answers. Thanks

Hey i see you in town alot now that i have a dsm.( jusy got it in the last week) its like they pop out. im the kid that works a the shell station. what im thinking is you said your timing is dead on when you hand crank it but but you crank it it seems like it moves. well what if you have a worn timing belt? i mean when the belt has a lot of force when its cranking it might junmp a couple teeth?

 

[wibblersnatch]

Hey man I was having the same problems you were. The car ran "fine" but had no power. Also couldn't set the timing with my light. Pulled the timing cover off and ended up being four teeth out of time. Fixed that and it was like a totally different car.

 

[Defiant]

Also, my timing marks do not line up on my cam gears, you people with think I'm crazy when I tell you that the teeth are about 4 notches away from each other,

Well, there's your damned problem. Timing isn't "just about". It's right, or it's wrong. Yours is wrong.