Well,

I have been struggling with my eclipse for 2 weeks already. I have adjustable fidanza cam gears.I recently decided to change to the mechanical Tensioner, the install went good and everything, but the problem is the timing on the car. How much of a bumpy iddle will the crane 16's give me? Because this is really bad. It idles like a muscle car. Snd before I replaced the Tensioner it didn't.

The weird thing is that I did a compression test and I got 180-185-185-185 all across which is good mostly because of the altitude of where I am at and my low compression build. So I don't think it could be the timing because of that, the enigine is making good compression, so I am guessing it could be something else but what?

If some of you guys think it is still the timing please offer suggestions, because I have remarked the cam gears and have tried TDC with the crank and the cams align perfect and have also tried 1/2 BTDC and still Same result. I have retimed the engine like 8 times and always get the same result.

Could it be a sensor? Wouldn't I have a cell if it were a sensor? IAC? Crank sensor? Because it idles like crap and revs but I feel that it has lost some power in the top end.

Any suggestions please share them.


Thanks to those who response.

If you have a timing gun, Put it on the cam gears and see if the marks on the cam gears are lined up. Maybe you moved one of the cams while you were putting the belt back on. If the marks are not lined up on the gears, then its just making the lope of the cams even worse because timing is off.

the best way to check without pulling it all back apart, is to throw a vac gauge on the car.

if you have a cam gear that is out of time, usually 1-2 teeth, the car will idle rough, but run fine. however idle vac. will be lower.

for example the Chrysler 2.4L sister motor, i played with advancing the stock exhaust gear, the car had more pull higher in the rpm range, more so on highway passing runs, but idled really rough and only held 14-15in hg.

on my set up in which I'm also running #16s i had intake advanced 6* and exhaust set at 0, (was looking for more bottom end torque) i was experiencing 11in hg at idle and just like you stated the idle was loopy and the car jounced.

im willing to bet 1 of your cam gears is set wrong, and you have too much overlap.

my timing is off by 2 teeth and lopes. stock cams though right now. so i can imagine yours would be idling really rough with off-timing and cams. so like black cotton and myself said, your cam gears or one of them is probably off

Crane 16's will give you a lope at idle but the main problem is that the Fidanza's timing marks are a little off, I Just put mine back together last night and the Fidanza's are actualy 1 tooth off but compared to the OEM cam sprocket the marks that I added to the sprockets line up. Just take your factory sprockets and transfer the timing mark over and see how bad its off.

Thanks for the responses. I have remarked the fidanza's and have been using the marks but nothing, I am gonna put the stockers back on to see how it goes. Probably I have marked them wrong but I doubt it.

I will let you guys know how it goes.

It has been fixed for those of you interested!!! I just used the stock gears!

Great! OEM for the win.