Vn timing?

[matty94]

Alright people can anyone tell me if the timing dots on a vn s1 v6 need to line up? reason i ask is mine are of by a little bit on both my engines, heres a photo.

[hi_ryder]

my haynes manual says early vn models line up the 2 dots here and here....

[Jxw]

gregorys shows it lining up, cam gear where it is and the dot on the crank about where the key is, worst case providing it runs as per the pics you'll be advancing your cam and it should have more low down power... last s1 clunker i put back together i lined them up and it ran fine.

to me that looks like the chain, tensioner and cam sprocket have been replaced and mistakenly lined up with the key....

[matty94]

Yeah my max ellerys shows it lined up i just wasn't sure because i have 2 engines that are timed the same.

And yeah iv swapped the timing gears but the timing was out with the stock one.

[Jxw]

well thats 2 manuals that agree it should be lined up, i'd go with them
only time it should really differ is when a multi keyed crank sprocket is fitted and you're changing the cam timing

like so

[matty94]

Yeah ill just line it back up then see how it goes.

[matty94]

Anyone know if its worth removing the balance shaft and how i would go about doing it?

[Jxw]

no point removing it unless you're fitting a double row timing chain and have to in order for it to fit, pointless using a double row chain on a stock motor, by removing it the engine will vibrate and shake, the poor old buick 3800's aren't known to be the smoothest at the best of times.

[matty94]

Yeah true i just heard that they make that bearing noise go away but as you said its really pointless.

[Jxw]

replace the bearing's, front one is easy it's enough, rear requires a bit more work but being a large roller bearing it shouldn't wear out as fast...... it's usually the front one that makes most of the noise anyway as it's a caged ball bearing and designed for radial loads but suffers thrust loads from the helical cut balance shaft gears, might remove one and measure it up/look for numbers on it to post here....