Report this forum post

ahhh the ole setting the timing by ear method...
yes i used to do this in the old days when i was trying to power balance a truck :oD

of course now a days with the onboard ECM's this generally doesn't work so well and can cause more problems than helping.

If you want the timing set to the correct range you will have to do it the factory way.
According to the RG manual the timing for the FE and F2 engines are to be set to 0°deg at 725 rpm's on white mark on gasoline engines, and 9° deg for LPG engines, at 725 rpm's using the red mark.

when installing the belt the crank should have the deflector washer knotch pointing straight up at 12 oclock aligned with the mark on the engine, the crank key should also be inline with this knotch, and the cam gear mark should be set with the letter A on the gear pointing at 12 oclock aligned with the mark/knotch on the engine.
The part that usually causes problems is when you set the tensioner, that may move either the crank or cam causing the marks to go out of alignment. This is why you always rotate the engine after setting the belt and tensioner to insure the marks are still where they should be.

IMPCO fuel system idle speed: 725 rpm
AISAN fuel system idle speed: 800 rpm

Also as was suggested you may want to recheck your timing mark locations and make sure they are on the mark, alot of times when you install a belt on a multicog setup like whats in these engines it is not hard to be a tooth off, it happens to me quite more than not so it is a good practice to rotate the engine a couple of rotations after installing the belt to let the belt settle in place and allow you to see if the marks are indeed on the mark.
Being one tooth off can make all the difference in the world and can cause a severe loss of power and erratic running performance.
  • Posted 21 Jun 2017 23:16
  • By swoop223
  • joined 23 Mar'12 - 3,695 messages
  • North Carolina, United States
You've been swooped!
swoop223@gmail.com

This is ONLY to be used to report flooding, spam, advertising and problematic (harassing, abusive or crude) posts.

Indicates mandatory field
Taylor X550M
Morgantown, Pennsylvania, United States
Used - Sale & Hire
Toplift Ferrari TFC36-48
Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada
Used - Sale
USD1
Latest job alerts …
Upcoming industry events …
February 24, 2026 - Panama City, Panama
April 8-10, 2026 - Jiangsu Province, China
June 10-11, 2026 - Cologne, Germany
Movers & Shakers
Michel Denis Michel Denis
President and CEO, Manitou Group
Vice president of sales, Barclay Brand Ferdon
Board chair, Australian Supply Chain & Logistics Association (ASCLA)
Strategic business development manager, Heli Materials Handling Oceania
Movers & Shakers
Michel Denis Michel Denis
President and CEO, Manitou Group
Vice president of sales, Barclay Brand Ferdon
Board chair, Australian Supply Chain & Logistics Association (ASCLA)
Strategic business development manager, Heli Materials Handling Oceania