Hi everybody

I am putting my 394 cui together with new cam and so. I am trying to understand what I might do wrong or maybe not. I fitted the new cam and cam chain set a few days ago, and dont want to fit the cover before I have my little problem solved. This is where I need you, please.

Cylinder no. 1 is at tdc and the crank gear "0" mark is at 12 o'clock, and the inlet and exhaust valve on no. 1 are closed (inlet have just closed ), so this must be compression stroke on no. 1, correct??? and the cam gear mark is at 12 o'clock too.
When I an trying to confirm this reading here and there, everybody writes about crank gear "0" should be at 12 o'clock and cam gear at 6 o'clock, and then I recall I read somewhere that Oldsmobile are different, and will have compression on cyl. 1 with BOTH gear marks at 12 o'clock.

Am I in the right track??

 

The book shows and says quite clearly that the Crank Gear mark is at Twelve O'clock and the Camshaft Gear is at 6 O'clock. Hope you're going down the right path.

 

#1 and 6 are at TDC only when the crank gear timing mark is at 12 o'clock, not at 6 o'clock. One is firing and the other at overlap when the cam gear mark is at 6 o'clock or 12 o'clock.

 

Thank you for your comments... I will have a look at it again.

 

This will be easier to understand:

The cam gear rotates exactly once for each two times the crank rotates, the cam gear lines up at the 12 o'clock crank and 6 o'clock cam gear orientation when the #6 cylinders on the compression stroke, rotate the engine one complete revolution and the cranks again at 12 o'clock but the cam gears index mark is now at 12 o'clock, indicating the #1 cylinders at the compression stroke, you use the 12/6 index to install cams simply because its easier to align correctly ,visually, but you need to rotate the engine to the 12/12 orientation before dropping the distributor back in, the distributor won't fully seat unless the oil pump drive shaft seats up into the distributor gear, as you remove the distributor the helical gear interface tends to turn the pump drive shaft slightly, you can use a long 1/4 drive extension and a 5/16 socket taped to it to turn that back to the correct location.

 

1964 Oldsmobile Service Manual, volume 1, page 3-22.

 

Solved.... nothing else to be said. Put the Slinger on, a seal in the cover, with a gasket and cover it up. DONE!!!!!

 

I must have been confused by which cylinder and when....

The describsion you made above is very understandable for me, and that is exactly how I made it when I put it together and how it is now. 12/12 o'clock o the gears and compr on cyl one.
As I see it I cant even put it together the way around. Which made it even worse for me.

Thank you Eric, thanks to everybody