[Shotimes] Re: Plastigage

[bjshov8]

> > Later I learned it was due to wear of the keyway in the lower timing
> > belt gear.  If the dealer had only checked the ignition timing they
> > would have discovered the problem.
>
> Crank Cancer.
>
> There should have been knocking coming from the engine at idle when it was
warmed
> up.  That knocking goes away when the revs go up....that is the clue.

No knocking, but a "ticking" similar to a bad lifter in a pushrod engine, a
ticking that I couldn't find.

> How did you fix it?

George- you and I had this disease at the same time.  I tried to resurrect
my car for a year, trying everything I and the list could think of.  (In the
mean time I had to suffer by driving my wife's old 94 Cougar.)  You happened
to discover yours before I did.  When you first posted your discovery I went
out and pulled my top timing belt cover, and sure enough....

Anyway, I bought a gear and key from someone else on the list, installed it,
and the car was back to new condition.  The crank was OK.  From the
condition of my gear and key, I estimated that my timing was retarded almost
20 degrees.  This was about the right time for my second 60k so I put in a
new timing belt, water pump, front oil seal and CPS at the same time.