Ka24de timing/cam issues. Seized motor?

[DanielZ]

Hey guys, new poster here but been on the site for a minute. I bought an 1992/3 s13 with stock ka24de in it. Basically blew a headgasket and now in the middle of timing/getting all the marks matched up, mind you i have the engine on a stand at the moment out of the car. I, unfortunately, have run into a pretty serious problem though was wondering if you guys can help me out. First of all when i put the cams on the head and set the timing to what im pretty sure was correct for both the lower and upper timing chains, i had everything in place and decided to test and see if i could get all of it turning at the crankshaft from tdc. Turns out itd only go half way each direction before i could push no more, basically i got the upper half circle rotation of the pulley. i then proceded to take off the cam gears and see if i got the same deal and to my surprise it moved freely with the crank sprocket and the one on the head timed to each other. I was told by a "mechanic" that i could have a bent valve i have no idea though, he also suggested the head mightve been shaved too much and now theres interference between the valves and pistons. Basically im at a standstill and looking for advice on either how to be able to diagnose whats actually wrong so i can pinpoint the problem, maybe timing was off? ive looked it up many times although shit can be pretty vague. maybe just get a new head? any suggestions or opinions will be greatly considered. thanks guys

[Pacman]

If you've been on here only a minute, then we know you're a new poster. And you need grammar and punctuation.

Now, with your engine dilemma. If you performed the head gasket replacement, you must have looked at the valves, and you must have had the valves ground to the seat. If any were bent, the machinist should have picked up the bent valve when the head was vacuum checked. If the front timing cover is still off, set the timing like the factory repair manual says using the dots and colored timing chain links, take a picture of the chain, clearly, and I will look at the repair manual for comparison to try to help out (I set my own engine up and it runs just fine, LOL).

Also, if the head has been machined too much, the machinist should have measured it and never surfaced it, it's junk. Although there is an alternative than just junking the head since you obviously spent money into it. They offer cylinder head shims, which is just like a steel gasket that goes in between the block and head with the gasket. If the engine is seeing NO performance modifications, than they will work when installed correctly. I have seen one of these installed on a 22-R Toyota pick-up which the head was junk, the customer was a pain-in-the-ass and the company was not going to buy a new head.

I doubt HIGHLY you can bend a valve by turning it over by hand. I've had the cam role off the lobe from the compressed spring, have the valve hit the piston and nothing happen when doing timing belts at work. If a valve is bent, then someone missed it, or the timing is off, you cranked it with the starter and you're not telling us the whole story.

Check some of those things and get back to us.

[orion::S14]

...and set the timing to what im pretty sure was correct for both the lower and upper timing chains, i had everything in place and decided to test and see if i could get all of it turning at the crankshaft from tdc. Turns out itd only go half way each direction before i could push no more, basically i got the upper half circle rotation of the pulley.

i then proceded to take off the cam gears and see if i got the same deal and to my surprise it moved freely with the crank sprocket and the one on the head timed to each other.

Doubt you bent a valve turning it by hand...unless you CRANKED on it.

You messed up the cam timing. Easy fix, just redo it.

Set the motor to TDC on #1.

Set the lower chain using the marks on the chain and sprokets.

Then do the same up top.

It's pretty easy.

When you're done, the #1 cam lobes should be facing directly opposite one another...or both facing OUT.

Then try again, turning it over by hand.

Be sure you torque everything correctly before buttoning it up.

- Brian