John, I have the same problem...been tearing my hair out trying to figure this out.  What is the correct way to align this...the BMW book is obviously wrong.  Do you just use the gold links to align the camshaft sprocket to the crank sprocket...or do you have a better recomendation....Obviously the R50 must not be an interference fit wit the pistons to the valves or by now I would have broken a piston?????

 

 

Thanks for the tip - glad to hear the MINI is up and running!

Ken

Glad you got her back on the road!  Thanks for the tip on timing chain marks. 

Jeremy

Ken: Sorry I didn't get back to you on this, I did get it running. The all data information was right and the Mini Book was wrong. When you align the marks on the bottom sprocket, the top mark comes out to the right side of the cam gear. This is correct. I set it up this way and it started right up.

johne, thanks for the feedback.  Let me know when you have it running!

Ken

Ken I went into alldata today and the info they have is different than what the book says. So I have set it up according to what alldata says. They say the the two marks on the crank are not on the bottom but line up with the copper links about 3 links up on the right side. I put the chain on this way and the cam gear comes out at the top where your picture shows. It's too late to finish it up tonight but I will let you know how this works later.

This is the only information we can find on the procedure:

 

 

 

Jedduh: Thanks. Yes I saw that tool and I made up one that looks like it. It makes it easy to take the bolt of out the cam. The car is in pieces and I just don't want to have it towed the 30 miles or so from my place and the dealer. I will just have to keep at it until I solve it.

You might have to settle and take it to the dealer and have the timing set using facory locking tools. When i replaced the head on my mothers car...I had no tools, and honestly didnt line timing marks up at all.

When looking at the service manual there is a tool, that enters the cam gear that locks it into place, using the holes outside of the center bolt. To me, photos apeared to refrence the cam gear parallel with the top of the head... {when i mean parallell} i mean the Fat metal 180 degree weighted side of the cam gear... the other 180 degrees are on the inside, towards the valves.

I set my eye on having that part of the gear as flush with the top of the head as possible.   I then marked the gear.  marked the cheain to the gear and Removed the tensioner...

This allowed me to take off the head. Not move the chain and re install identical.  The cam is keyed, so if the chain and gear went back on the same way the cam would line up the same...

I do remember however, with the head taken off. and the chain and crank left in this positon it was WAY off from TDC...  more than a tooth or TWO  would correct. .. so if you rotate your cam gear as pictured backwards.  Couter Clock... it would put the piston down more..

 

Basically your refrence is gone,  and no alignment tool... youll be pulling this head apart tooth by tooth trying to re align.

Might as well paysome one to just put it in time, and you can finish up the rest and go for a drive.

 

Goodluck

 

Yes, that's what my book shows. But, I have never been able to align the marks and the copper links on the chain to match what the book shows. For instance, the copper link on the chain on the cam gear,in the book aligns on the left side of the the cam while when I get the links lined up on the crank, the cam gear aligns on the right side. I have put it on and off so many times now I am getting a complex over it. I have kind of given up on the copper links at this time. I did mark the chain and crank before I took it apart but the mark (paint mark) on the chain at the crank came off so I am back to square one. Right now I have it on TDC with the valves closed, which should get it to fire but the best I can do is get it to "pop" back thru the throttle body a couple of times. I am close but so far, no cigar.

Yes, the two adjacent copper colored chain links need to match up to the two dots on the crank gear.  The single copper chain link needs to align with the angular timing mark on the cam sprocket.

there has to be a way to index it if you didnt mark it before removal. how did the factory do it when the original virgin motor was assembled?

The timing marks on the crank and cam vs. chain do not line up with every rotation - you may need to rotate a few turns for them to line up. 

We've seen many installations where the chain is off by a tooth - and the car runs but down on power and the installer blames the cam / head / whatever.  It's very important that everything lines up to spec.

As ForcedIndie mentioned, the chain & gear should have been indexed with a marking so you can re-assemble exactly the way it was...

Ken

During disassembly you were supposed to mark chain and cam sprocket to index them(Triangle on sprocket at noon and chain scribe mark) for reassembly.  If you've not rotated the crank you should be close.  I would bolt it up and rotate the crank to confirm.

Jeremy 

I have an 2002 R50 and have just had the head redone. I am putting it back together but I find that the ID marks on the crank and the ID mark on the camshaft sprocket don't line up on the chain the way the photo's in the book show. For instance, when I put the two copper links on the crank ID marks, then the copper link on the camshaft sprocket ends up in a different place than what the photo in the manual shows. The link and mark are on the left in the photo but end up on the right when I put the chain back on the sprocket. I don't have any slack in the chain and am not sure if the book is wrong or if I have missed something somewhere, but I just can't get it to go any other way. The piston is on TDC and the valves are closed so it should be ready to fire. It's just a lot of work to put it on only to have to take it apart again if I'm wrong. Anyone have experience with this?