So there’s something else weird going on with this engine. I put a Toyota timing chain in it. I matched up the paint marks. I put everything together, but when you turn the engine over by hand to check the timing chain position and the valve timing. The camshaft marks will come up to their marks perfectly, driver and passenger, but when this happens, the crankshaft is about 5° past top dead center. I checked and the sprocket on the crankshaft has 18 teeth which means 20° per tooth so the chain is not off a tooth, and I pulled the timing cover all the way off to recheck everything and it’s on there correctly. But there’s an unaccounted 5° that I’m not able to explain. If the chain was too long, you would see a difference between the camshafts timing marks, if the heads have been machine too thin or the head gasket was too thick or thin, you would see a difference between the camshafts. But they’re dead perfect with each other while the crankshaft is off 5°. I’m starting to think that ECU is seeing this difference and it’s a no go for the ECU. Which would explain why it will run with the number one bank a.k.a. passenger side camshaft sensor unplugged. But immediately dies if you plug it in. I think with only the crankshaft sensor it’s running in some kind of safe mode and possibly running a wasted ignition cycle where it’s firing every rotation of the engine not every other rotation. This would explain the issues with it running, but I don’t have an explanation as to why I have this 5° problem at the crankshaft. Anyway, let me know if you have any thoughts!
