Installed new timing chain, is this right?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Redhouse7, Feb 23, 2025 at 11:29 PM.

  1. Redhouse7

    Redhouse7 Junior Member

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    I installed a new timing chain on my 2009 Prius. This is my first time doing one but I'm a very handy mechanical person.

    The first time it started but threw a out of sync code for the cam and crank. I took it apart and my question is if I set the marks on the cam and the crank to the correct positions, install the chain, guides and tensioner and then turn it over by hand why don't the marks on the chain ever land on the timing marks again? I turned it over several times and it just never land there again. The timing marks are in the right place after a slight adjustment, but I still don't understand why they never line up again.

    Could be I'm just not that bright
     
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    It's not really 'never'. It's how many times you have to go around before they line up again.

    You can look at this post (and the one that post links to). That's a post about gen 3, which has not the same engine as your 2009. The answer for a gen 3 engine happens to be that they line up again every ninth time the painted links go by, which is the same as every 35 times around for the camshafts, or every 70 times around for the crankshaft.

    I have never worked out what the answer is for the 1NZ engine like in your 2009. But the link you can follow from the post linked above shows you how to work it out. It's just math. Starts by counting the links in the chain and the teeth on a sprocket. Doesn't matter if you count teeth on a cam sprocket or crank sprocket, 'cause we know every cam sprocket will have exactly 2✕ the teeth of the crank sprocket, so whichever one you count, you know what the other number is. (Also means if you ever count an odd number of teeth on a cam sprocket, you counted wrong.)

    By the way, you've posted about your 2009 here in the gen 3 forum. You might consider using the Report button on your post and asking the mod to move it to the gen 2 forum.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.