[nkaminar]

Phil,

There is a way to check the valve timing without taking the engine apart. Also the ignition timing without depending on the timing pin in the front. You have to go back to the basics of how an engine works. Here is how.

Take the spark plugs out. Turn the engine over by hand until the timing pin inserts into the dimple in the cam gear. Now, verify that the number one piston is actually at top dead center by inserting a piece of wire or wood to reach the top of the piston and then rocking the engine forward and back with the crankshaft pulley. Depending on how stiff your engine is you may need a wrench on the crank shaft pulley nut.

Once you verify that the #1 piston is actually at TDC then proceed to check the valves on #4 cylinder. Both intake and exhaust valves should be just barely open.

If the timing pin did not accurately indicate TDC or the valves were not both barely open when #4 was at TDC then the cam timing is off. This could be due to a number of causes, perhaps a manufacturing flaw.