by JimDirt » Mon Mar 01, 2021 4:54 pm
You should have the timing mark in the round plug (shown in the page from the manual I posted) , the cam lobes facing back , and the lines on the gear , and the line on the flywheel (the small round plug on the ignition side) all aligned at the same time , if all those marks are aligned it should be correct , and in no way would a valve hit the piston , which is why I am saying it must be 180 out or at least several teeth .... but no matter what ALL the marks have to match up
Could the chain have moved on the flywheel , yes , but there should be a little bracket that keep the chain from falling down , unless it got bent by letting the chain have excessive slack and turning the crank , then the chain will bunch up down below and bend the tab , and then the chain can fall off the sprocket , the only way to confirm that , is to remove the ignition cover , and try to see the tab located on the right side of the gear , but you would most likely have to remove the flywheel to see it , you might be able to see it if you look from a lower vantage point , but no matter where the chain lands on the crank gear , if you align all the marks , it should be in time , , you can confirm the chain is on the gear by removing the cam , and pulling on the chain , and trying to turn the crank , if the chain turns it , then it is good , but the chain itself is not a timing marker , it is only a means to keep everything in time , so its relation to the crank gear is not relevant as long as it is on it , if it is not on the gear then either the chain will be too loose , or you won't be able to get the chain on the cam sprocket because it will be too tight ..... so something is going on with one or more of the marks having to be off to get the results you are getting
What I would do is start over ..... first align the dot/triangle on the clutch side , when those marks line up , then look at the small plug and look for the line for the flywheel , if that is in line , then align the cam lobes back and the gear marks level , and you should be good ..... you are doing this with the timing chain tensioner removed completely , then once all are aligned , install the tensioner and check the marks again , if all are good , then crank the engine over by hand with the kickstart and turn it several turns , nothing should hit , then set the cam lobes to the rear , and recheck all the marks , if all are still aligned , then button it all up and you should be good to go ....
2020 CRF450R
2006 CRF450X
Weiser , Idaho