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1G Weird timing issues, cam gears must be off a tooth or car won't run right

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fourgsixthree33

10+ Year Contributor
1,244
45
Oct 25, 2010
Athens, Pennsylvania
I tried getting help on my issue a few months ago. Nobody could figure it out but now I am determined to figure it out and hopefully you can help me.

First off, I have a 93 Eagle Talon TSi AWD. It is auto, has a 14B turbo, 3 1/2 inch turbo back exhaust, NGK plugs and wires, and a boost gauge. Other than that, it is fairly stock. Even still running the 390cc injectors.

Now that I got that out of the way, here is my problem. The timing belt has to be advanced a tooth off each cam in order for it to run well. When I first bought the car, I noticed the timing marks were off. I re-timed the timing belt to the factory timing marks.

Once I did this, the car ran like crap. Would barely move, spit and sputtered, just absolutely horrible. CAS was 5* with a timing light. Once I rotated the CAS all the way forward, the car ran alot better than at 5*. I talked to the previous owners (now girl friend) father about it. He said he did the same thing when they bought the car almost 10 years ago.

He talked to the previous owner before my girl friend owned it. They did not know why it had to be a tooth off each cam, but that's how they had it since it wouldn't run well otherwise. They also said something about an "arm" or "tensioner" that was flipped upside down.

My talon has balance shafts with no balance shaft belt. My girl friends dad said he put one on when they bought the car and it ran crappy. So he took it off and left the balance shafts in.

It also doesn't seem to make much of a difference on where the CAS is timed at. For example, moving it all the way forward has little to no effect compared to if you rotate it all the way back. I have it at 5* putting it somewhere around the middle.

About a month ago, a CEL came on for my coolant temp sensor. I replaced the sensor but the CEL was still on. So I disconnected the positive cable from the battery for about a half hour. It cleared. Then I went for a drive and the car felt like it had literally 40 more horsepower.

Recently, it has much less power when very warm outside. Once it cools down a little at night, it runs descent. But nothing like it did when I reset the CEL. Also, disconnecting the battery for 30+ minutes doesn't do anything anymore.

Why would my engine have to be advanced one tooth on each cam in order to run properly?

Also, when grounding the timing plug on the firewall, cylinder one stops firing. What would cause this to happen?

I hope someone can figure this out. Ask me questions, etc. I will do my best to help you if you are trying to help me.
 
are you certain it has stock camshafts and cam gears? Something is odd about the balance shaft belts making the car run worse when installed.
 
Her dad told me when I bought the car it had aftermarket cams and aftermarket injectors. Shortly after I bought the car and brought it home, I put my painted valve cover on. When taking the old one off, I noticed the cams were stock. Then i decided to take a look at the injectors. Stock 390cc injectors. My girl friend said her dad bought parts and was told the cams and injectors were aftermarket. They obviously aren't but her dad believed it. So, as far as I know, the cams and gears are completely OEM.
 
Im thinking someone put the sprockets on the wrong way or didn't put them on the right cam. as far as the rest of the problems idk but if the car feels it lacks power when running right could be a dead maf or o2 sensor.
 
That could be a wastegate issue maybe when its gets super hot it could be making the waste gate stick or something just an option and id agree the sprockets probably aren't installed right. With the balance shaft belt that makes no sense at all.
 
Do you have any idea what the CEL you had? That would probably help out alot if you knew.
 
Do you have any idea what the CEL you had? That would probably help out alot if you knew.

The CEL was for the Coolant Temp Sensor. The prongs in the plug broke when I was installing a new gasket and had unplugged those wires for better access. It was the CTS for the ECU. The CEL came on the next time I started it up without the CTS plugged in because well, I couldn't plug it in. Then I got a new sensor and plug.

I haven't tried to put on a new balance shaft belt, that is just what her dad told me. I never tried it. So if I can find out what is causing my timing to have to be a tooth off at each cam, we will go from there. Could it be related to my problem with injector 1 not firing when grounding the timing plug on the firewall?
 
To my knowledge yes that is and it could be the cause of the issues but then again with the timing having to be off like that that is really odd i dunno if that could be the cause of that though id guess as was said before the sprockets could be installed wrong. But then that wouldnt cause it to have to be off just 1 tooth heck i dunno dude thats a confusing one. its one of thoes things to with out being right there and messing with it i think itll be rough for anyone to figure out. Does ## GFS dad know alot about the DSM's

If you read above when a balance shaft belt is on it causes it to run even worse.

My talon has balance shafts with no balance shaft belt. My girl friends dad said he put one on when they bought the car and it ran crappy. So he took it off and left the balance shafts in.
 
To my knowledge yes that is and it could be the cause of the issues but then again with the timing having to be off like that that is really odd i dunno if that could be the cause of that though id guess as was said before the sprockets could be installed wrong. But then that wouldnt cause it to have to be off just 1 tooth heck i dunno dude thats a confusing one. its one of thoes things to with out being right there and messing with it i think itll be rough for anyone to figure out. Does ## GFS dad know alot about the DSM's

If you read above when a balance shaft belt is on it causes it to run even worse.

My talon has balance shafts with no balance shaft belt. My girl friends dad said he put one on when they bought the car and it ran crappy. So he took it off and left the balance shafts in.

He knows a little about DSM's. He knows cars pretty well. And yea, he said he put a belt on and it ran worse so he took it off. I have yet to try it out and see what happens.

Are you running a auto or turbo ECU? i would put some 450's in it and see if that helps

It is the stock ECU that came with the car- 93 Talon TSi AWD auto. I am looking for some used 450's for cheap.
 
holy crap... the best advise i can give you and be certain about it is to keep the asprin handy cause it sounds like alot of headaches LOL i would start by making sure someone didnt tune the ecu for aftermarket cams/injectors and then pulled them out and put the stock cams and injectors back in when they sold it. grab an ecu from a pull ## own parts place and try it i guess. just a thought. one other thing... if im not mistaken, i believe a 93' auto should have a TD04HL 13g turbo... maybe the stock turbo was replaced with one from a manual and it behaves differently (auto is a 5cm with a larger hotside than manual but smaller cold side)? just throwing stuff out there. GOOD LUCK
 
holy crap... the best advise i can give you and be certain about it is to keep the asprin handy cause it sounds like alot of headaches LOL i would start by making sure someone didnt tune the ecu for aftermarket cams/injectors and then pulled them out and put the stock cams and injectors back in when they sold it. grab an ecu from a pull ## own parts place and try it i guess. just a thought. one other thing... if im not mistaken, i believe a 93' auto should have a TD04HL 13g turbo... maybe the stock turbo was replaced with one from a manual and it behaves differently (auto is a 5cm with a larger hotside than manual but smaller cold side)? just throwing stuff out there. GOOD LUCK

The owners before the ones I bought the car off of put a 14B on it taking off the 13G. ECU and injectors are still from a stock 93 Tsi AWD auto. What would not swapping out the injectors and ECU cause?

I would need you to bring the #1 piston to top dead center....line up the timing mark on the crank, then take a picture of both the cam gears and the crank.

When I redid my belt the two times I did it, everything was lined up perfectly when at TDC. Crank was perfect, all the other timing marks were perfect, and the dowel pins on the cam gears were perfect.

When I put the timing back to a tooth off each cam, I first double checked and made sure the timing marks were lined up. Then I redid it with a tooth off each cam.

i got stock 450cc if interested let me know shoot me a PM if interested

PMed. Thanks.
 
Check the spacer behind the crank shaft timing belt pulley (the one with the timing mark), and make sure that it is not switched around. I have seen this done and it resulted in the same problem you are having. And a way to check that spacer is to line that mark up with the point just like you would do when timing it and physically check with a screw driver or something to see if the motor is actually at TDC by rotating the crank to see if the screw driver will go up anymore. Hopefully you can understand what I mean!! Good luck also!
 
Check the spacer behind the crank shaft timing belt pulley (the one with the timing mark), and make sure that it is not switched around. I have seen this done and it resulted in the same problem you are having. And a way to check that spacer is to line that mark up with the point just like you would do when timing it and physically check with a screw driver or something to see if the motor is actually at TDC by rotating the crank to see if the screw driver will go up anymore. Hopefully you can understand what I mean!! Good luck also!

The previous owner said something about flipping something around. Maybe thats what it was?
 
Her dad told me when I bought the car it had aftermarket cams and aftermarket injectors. Shortly after I bought the car and brought it home, I put my painted valve cover on. When taking the old one off, I noticed the cams were stock. Then i decided to take a look at the injectors. Stock 390cc injectors. My girl friend said her dad bought parts and was told the cams and injectors were aftermarket. They obviously aren't but her dad believed it. So, as far as I know, the cams and gears are completely OEM.

Stock is 450cc. Has the car had a balace shaft elimination? You could always go pull some from a local junkyard, and do lifters also. Best of luck my friend, its too bad DSMs have the most awkward problems sometimes. Also check the cam angle sensor!!!
 
I recently did my first timing belt and reinstalled the ccrankshaft blade backwards... The car wuldnt even run. Easy way to tell if it is right is the timing mark (the little dimple that is missing from the edge) leads the nearest blade through a clockwise rotation.
 
Also, when grounding the timing plug on the firewall, cylinder one stops firing. What would cause this to happen?


Are you sure your not mistakenly using the "fuel pump testing plug" instead of the "timing adjustment plug"?

I did that once and cylinder 1 and 4 don't fire.

[I always wondered why that was -- anyone know?]
 
GoldÐiamond;152620627 said:
Are you sure your not mistakenly using the "fuel pump testing plug" instead of the "timing adjustment plug"?

I did that once and cylinder 1 and 4 don't fire.

[I always wondered why that was -- anyone know?]

exactly what I was going to say and its not the fuel pump tester it is something else but right in the same location. Ive done that before:ohdamn:
 
Very good info! I will have to see if I was grounding the correct thing. Spoke with my gf's dad and he said he flipped these 2 little arms around. The reason being it advances the timing and u get quicker throttle response. Also, he said the dowel pins on the cam gears have to be at 11 O clock (exhause cam) and 1 O colock (intake cam).

Dont get it at all. So I plan to redo the entire timing belt system with new everything and install it the way it is supposed to be.
 
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