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MG TD TF 1500 - Cam timing marks?

Hi, I'm screwing my xpag back together without a workshop manual....I've always lined up the marks on the cam sprocket/crankshaft sprocket with a straight edge running through. Is this the same with these engines? Searching on the net the issue seems very cloudy! Theres talk of painted links on the chain/count the links....it all seems un-necessarily vague to me. Sorry for my ignorance!
c caygill

No... they don't line along a straight line. Mark a link.. count 13 links, mark the link... you should have 15 links left over. Check this with others as I am going by memory.
I am sure someone here can send yo the page of the workshop manual.
... CR
C.R. Tyrell

The 1st and 13th link line up with the Timing marks on the cam and crankshaft.

Send me your email address and I will scan and send the page in the WSM.

Jim B.
Jim B in NJ

Yeh
mgtd51 at verizon dot net

Jim B.
Jim B in NJ

Thanks. its bigred851@gmail.com
c caygill

Done

Jim B.
Jim B in NJ

Wow! Thanks Jim....got it. Its a new way of doing things for me. So it doesn't matter where the sprockets are as long as the links are in the correct place. I suppose its as good a way as any!
Thanks very much.
Colin.
c caygill

Colin, the thing to watch for is to be certain that you are counting 13 going clockwise from the T tooth on the crankshaft to the T tooth on the camshaft. It's a common problem when folks have the engine on a bench with the crank above the camshaft. Figure A.15 is a good guide. Bud
Bud Krueger

Also don't go by the colored links- I recall the original chains had two lighter links, seems the repros do not, or they are not in the right place. George
George Butz

Thanks for all the info guys. Its a lot more clear to me now. My motor is upside down on the bench so I'll be aware of this when I proceed!
Many thanks.
Colin
c caygill

Colin, you'd be surprised how many folks have put it together the wrong way because of that image vs. upside down on the bench. Cheers. Bud
Bud Krueger

This may help..


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxisXBEpc-IWdHBJQmhEYkRZLWc/view?pli=1
C.R. Tyrell

OK, here's my weird question. When I removed the motor and disassembled, the T mark on the crankshaft was BETWEEN two links, while the T mark on the camshaft was directly on a link. Forget "white links" as this was probably a later chain and you just can't tell. However, there are 13 links between the T marks, as described. It's just that should the crankshaft T mark be directly on a link?
If this is the case, how come this engine ran fine for 20 years with the chain set this way?
It's been reassembled exactly this way so it is the same as it was before...
Geoffrey M Baker

I'm going to move this to a new thread and post a picture.
Geoffrey M Baker

Posted 18 August 2015 at 14:44:51 UK time
C.R. Tyrell, Ontario, Canada

This may help..


Thanks C.R. thats very helpful! Cheers.
c caygill

This thread was discussed between 17/08/2015 and 18/08/2015

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