Checking for Cancer....was: RE: [Shotimes] Ticking/oil leak

[George Fourchy]

On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 19:58:42 -0700, Kerry Kinion wrote:

>I'm still fearing crank cancer!  
>
>Josh Salaets might hook up with me in a day or two.  If he listens to
>this maybe he can help with the diagnosis and I'll keep you all filled
>in.  I know I can't be the first and only with this problem.

You can check positively for crank cancer by removing the upper timing cover and
rotating the engine back and forth with the damper bolt.  You don't need to turn the
engine very far in either direction, just rock it back and forth with a breaker bar
or long end wrench that you put over the damper bolt.  Remove the cover so you can
see the cam sprockets, and just rock the crank back and forth.  If the cam sprockets
delay even a tiny bit in moving either way, when you move the crankshaft, you have
cancer.  My car was 22 degrees of crank rotation out of time by the time I figured
out what was wrong with it, and the second car I fixed was about 5 degrees retarted.

If you disregard all the skeptics on this list ..  ;-)  ..you can rock the engine
back and forth by putting a wrench on the alternator pulley nut.  It's a lot more
handy than trying to reach the damper bolt.  If the belt slips, tighten the
tensioner a little bit...then loosen it again when you are done.

George