HI I have a 1999 jaguar xj8 and I see both crankshaft gears have a dot but I see the crankshaft key on both gears are not timed same like 1 tooth off from each other , My question is which gear goes to A or B side ? I know rest of motor uses no marks and you time by having cams on flats and tools to lock in and you put the tool to lock Number 1 on tdc , and then use tool on secondary chain to put slack on tensioner side . so can someone please tell me if I am missing something and nalso about orientation of crankshaft gears , thanks LOU

 

I’m pretty sure that you need the dots of both crankshaft sprockets to face each other. That way the teeth of both sprockets are *not* aligned.

I believe the reason is so the pins holding the links of the primary chains don’t get too close to each other and clash. Meaning A bank and B bank primary chains.

 

hi thanks for the replys I now feel confident on how it goes properly , also I got heads all cleaned up and valves decarboned I own a Neway valve seat cutting set up however on Mercedes and bmw nothing uses 5mm for the stems , so I suppose i have to make me a pilot shaft as my tooling is 3/8 for the cutter and a 5mm to hold tight in guide , I am really surprised just how well the guides held up threw this mileage on mercedes they would of been very loose , I remember 1992 mercedes 400e guides shot at 40k here is my heads ,I got valve seals in mail today with the cyl heads , if you look at valves i did lap the intakes look ok but I need to cut the exhaust I made a took for my evap smoke maching so I can seal on intake and exhaust ports and see if i have any leaks with my smoke or machines gage is shows a tiny evap leak here is pics of what i got apart I do have 2 valves I did not de carbonize yet or lap in just to show before and after , How does it Look ? thanks for info about gears I know Mercedes and BMW/have I rebuilt many engines transmissions , diesel pumps even rear axles and steering boxes , for a decade i was a rebuilder , but Jaguars not any experance on these I just never had any customers with them and I never owned them when I was in buisness , I am retired now but this I got into to help a friend who needed rear shock bushings and had plastic tensioners , I can say all rails were cracked and upper tensioners were shot , thanks all for info I really appreciate it guys LOU

 

ok hit wrong button here is pictures of motor I got apart thanks

 

That exhaust valve…. wow….

Make sure whoever installs the heads to use MLS head gaskets and new head bolts. Have fun with the valve adjustment. I don’t miss that at all!