My high school geometry teacher would get literally red in the face and then he'd kick his stool over when the students frustrated him... which was often :P. The stool was about four feet tall and only a foot in diameter, so you can imagine our amazement when one day he kicked the thing all the way across the room and it didn't so much as wobble - it landed on all four feet and came to a perfect, upright stop. There was some geometric precision for you :D.

Anyway, I just realized... How do I identify a woodruff key versus the stock "single edge key" that should be under the cam gear?

Thanks. Couldn't it just be whatever is causing my -9 degree offset that's thrown the pump out of range, though? I guess we'll find out soon enough since I'm definitely going to fix the timing chain issue first.

Thanks for your help, guys!

the woodruff key is a type of key - a generic term for the keys being used on camshaft.

the profile of the offset keys are S-shaped

the profile of the original key is simply a rectangle.

first drawing is the original

second is the offset

you are looking a the camshaft with the cam gear removed at the front of the engine

Thanks. I'll check it in the morning!

Okay... This is what I found.

I pulled the gear forward about half a centimeter. The camshaft appears to be smooth except where the alignment marks are; there is a raised square knob there (see pics).

Is that where the woodruff key would be? If so, is it the 'stock' key or an adjustment key? Based on jt20's description I'm guessing it's the stock one.

Thanks...

That first one looks like there is a shoulder on the key which means its an offset one.

http://img.eautopartscatalog.com/hir...9021382OES.JPG

Aha
 

I looked at those pictures from Fastlane and I was having a hell of a time figuring out how they worked. Now that I get it, it seems so obvious! The part they label "bottom" is what I would consider the top, though. That really threw me off!

Unfortunately, it looks upon closer inspection (and with better understanding!) like the one I've got is the stock key, not an offset key. So now the question is, what could be causing this and how do I fix it? :confused:

I suppose I can install a 10 degree key in reverse, right? That should put it back to spec. But that doesn't solve whatever caused this to begin with... :(

you are going to have to pull the key out to verify it's stock or not.

Wouldn't the best thing to do at this point be, align the crank and cam then pull the IP, set it to its marks (at the compression stroke :)) and then roll in a new chain if need be??

the point is, there is no way to align the cam to the crank if it's off by 10° ... you have to get a offset key.

I don't think we have all the data. I do not see how it's possible to be off by 9° with a brand new chain...........something is amiss.

is it possible that the chain was installed on a severely worn set of gears?

...........like virtually no teeth??

...........I still don't see a possibility of 9°.

Humm, interesting puzzle, time to interrogate the PO :D, thanks vstech, new I was missing something.:)