Help me set the timing on my new engine

[WHSTLR]

I have a MMR 1000SE motor to replace my stock short block. The heads came off the stock block fully assembled (they were gone through but ran on the stock block). I have read the few pages on this I could find and even looked at the pics but mine never seems to line up the same. I think the part to focus are the CAM keyways (deep cut 3/4 circular holes) are at 6 o'clock compared to the deck. This places the long groves on the LH at the 1 O'clock and the long groves on the RH at the 2 O'clock position. The crank is set at 6 o'clock for the keyway which I verified is TDC for the #1 piston. Hopefully I have all the terminology correct here. Either way here are some pics to help paint the picture and I can take more as requested, I just need help. There are yellow marks from where someone made them taking the heads off before, but I am thinking they are so that they could put the heads back on without spinning the motor or CAMs since they dont line up anywhere near what I have read. Just a guess! So please someone school me here!
Right Head:

Crank:

Left head:

 

[WHSTLR]

Need some help here brothers! Trying to get her on the road again.

 

[snakerider]

I would love to know info on this as well. Because I will be assembling my motor soon. ttt

 

[stang910]

Do you need to time the two cams also? Since your heads are assembled I'll assume not.

There's a dot on the cam gear and on the crank gear. The dot on crank gear needs to be at the bottom of the rotation and the dot on the cam gear at the top. Now look at your timing chains and you'll see 2 links are darker then the rest. Those darker links line up with the dots, it's that easy. If your chains don't have the darker links you can make your own. Basically pick a link and hold the chain in the air by it and the link down at the very bottom will be your other link, they are exactly the same links apart.

 

[WHSTLR]

Phew this is going to be a task. Something isn't right when it comes to the CAM gear. I know that I tried to set it up like many threads say do and when you turn the crank 360 twice to check for clearance it always hits something. THis tells me the heads are not set up correctly. The LH WILL NOT align the chains marked links with the cam keyway and crank keyway marks. I am going to have to take the heads down to parade rest and I have never done that before either. FML!!!!

 

[Ironhand]

When I get home ill post pictures for you. I tried to do it earlier but photobucket wasn't loading right.

 

[WHSTLR]

When I get home ill post pictures for you. I tried to do it earlier but photobucket wasn't loading right.

Much obliged brother!

 

[Ironhand]

The reason why they dont line up is because you have to spin the motor 54 times to get all the marks to line back up again, or its some crazy number like that. So if the cams have not been removed, try to turn it several times until it lines back up again.


Start with the driver side head:

Pull the large Primary spocket off and set it aside:

Look for gold colored links on the secondary chain.
Like the picture below. Notice the groove at the mark? Line both cams up this way. There is also a dot on the sprocket that will point to the gold link as well.

This is what it all kinda looks like all together. I turned the camera so it appears level so dont let the angle fool ya. Also the cams are slightly rotated because I was fighting the lifters and springs. But the gold links should be at the 12 o clock position relative to the head surface.

 

[WHSTLR]

The LH lined up no problem. After many rotations the RH was off by a couple links on the crank end when lined up on the CAM Gear keyway, so I turned the CAM gear ( pressure made it difficult) just a little( 1/8 to a 1/4 turn) and got it to line up. Is this normal?

Edit: As a note: I turned it over 3 -4 times and nothing stopped or hit this time.

 

[Ironhand]

The LH lined up no problem. After many rotations the RH was off by a couple links on the crank end when lined up on the CAM Gear keyway, so I turned the CAM gear ( pressure made it difficult) just a little( 1/8 to a 1/4 turn) and got it to line up. Is this normal?

Edit: As a note: I turned it over 3 -4 times and nothing stopped or hit this time.

Yes, I had to rotate the motor just a little to get everything right because of the lifters, followers, and tensioners.