OK, so I have just replaced the cylinder head (again) on a 2006 2.3 DOHC Duratec. Here is what I am doing for timing:

First, I line up the cams, and fit the tool into the slots in the back of the camshafts. The first lobes are kind of pointing at each other, with the intake cam about 11 o'clock and the exhaust cam about 1 o'clock. They are locked in place with the flat metal tool (some people use a file, but I am using the timing tool). Chain is tight between the sprockets.

Then I rotate the crankshaft until I hit top dead center, verified with the screw in the bottom of the motor. I rotate clockwise until I hit the screw, and I verify TDC with a long screwdriver in cylinder 1, it's all the way up.

Put the harmonic balancer on, rotate it clockwise until I can fit a screw through the hole in the pulley and screw it into the spot behind the harmonic balancer in the timing chain cover. Now the crank pulley is locked in place, I'm at TDC and the cams are lined up.

Now I tighten the crank bolt a bit (not too much) then remove the timing pin and "file".

Torque to spec, then tighten an additional 90 degrees. I have the spec, it's in the garage. I think it's 66 foot pounds then another 90.

When I try to verify the timing with one full revolution of the crankshaft, I'm all over the place. The cams don't line up, and the pin in the bottom of the motor does not line up with the harmonic balancer. I'm all over the place.

What am I doing wrong?

I'm going to do more research, but I will not reassemble this motor without verified timing. Right now I'm not happy at all.

 

When tightening the big bolt on the crank shaft, the bolt in the block has to be in place through the entire torque sequence. Why are you removing it and then doing the rest of the torque procedure, if you remove it too soon, the crank chain ring will move and throw the timing out ?

The timing plate for the cam shafts remain in place as well.

It's important that the bolt on the side of the block that holds the crank in position stays there until the crank bolt for the harmonic balancer is fully torqued.
The smaller bolt that times the actual balancer is only meant to time the tone ring, it's not meant to keep the crank from turning while torqueing the big crank bolt.

In order to test if the timing is correct, the engine has to be turned through two complete revolutions because the cams turn half the speed of the crank.
If everything is timed properly, turning the engine through two 360 degree revolutions should return the intake and exhaust cam lobes to 11 and 1 o-clock.

Did you remove the cam sprocket gears, if you did, there is a special washer that is needed for that when they are torqued down ?

Also, the cam shafts have to be locked in place with the tool before it's placed on the block.
You want the valves to be in their correct position with the crank at #1 TDC when the head is placed on the block.

 

Thank you very much. It's too late to put the tool in the cams first because I already put the head on the crankcase.

But, I was able to move the pistons to the center, turn the cams, lock them in again and torque down with the screw through the harmonic balancer, the cam lock tool in and the bolt in the side of the block. This time, when I went through two complete revolutions the tools confirmed that the timing is correct.

It is possible that last time I only did one complete revolution, I think this is a good time to take a break and continue reassembly tomorrow. This is my first cylinder head project, and I need to allow myself time to think in between each part or else it is really easy to overlook things and screw them up.

Thank you again for the advice, it totally worked.

 

Sounds like you got it right.
Do a compression test to make sure none of the valves are bent, but if you you able to rotate the engine freely by hand through all of this, the valves are probably OK.

 

Can I do the compression test before I put the intake manifold back on? Right now, I've got the head on and timed, and the exhaust manifold is on. The radiator, efan, fan, alternator, AC compressor, intake and lower rad hose are in the bed.

That would save me some time in the case that I screwed this up again ...

 

Yea, that's fine, all the spark plugs should be removed too.
With out the intake manifold in place, it will get the maximum amount of atmosphere flowing into the engine.