weird. from your pics, we can see that the sensor seat wasnt cut down or anything.. (nice rounded edges) and the cover obviously has a gasket still in it..

sorry man, maybe someone more knowledgable will know. I took my sensors/cover a few times before but its never given me any problems..

 

Hmm... Have your Cams ever been replaced? Are the bolts that hold down the cam cap tight? If they are loose, the cam could have lifted up enough to touch the sensor.

 

i dont believe the cams have been replaced no.

We checked all the bolts and all were tight.

When we first started the car it was very faint 'ticking' but over the course of say 1m30seconds it got worse to the point we thought it was severe knock so we switched off and began to investigate.

Does anyone know the tollerances on these sensors? i mean, how close to the cam wheel do they have to be to work properly without throwing codes?

 

Strange, I think this is a first for this issue. I wish I could help but, I'm stumped too....
Your going to have to check the turning assembly to check for anything out of sorts.

If I'm reading this right, the issue only started after the cover was refinished and was not an issue before you did the paint job?

I wonder if the cover is slightly distorted from the heat of the oven when it was powder coated? I had a cover powder coated and the shop heated the oven so high that the cover got damaged.

 

^wow, thats pretty insane. enough to warp aluminum?

Anyway, Wayers what strikes me as strange is that it was quiet...then it got louder until it was "knocking" Either the ECU was doing some tuning to mess with until make it sound worse.

 

we also had some fittings welded in, as you can see in the photo for the catch can.

The welding job wasnt... brilliant and were the guy earthed the cover had actually melted, so the idea about it warping might not be far off.

Ill try and speak with the surface coating guys today and find out if it was put in the oven and if so, at what temperature.

The car actually runs perfect when we unbolted that particular sensor and moved it slightly - and it is only every so slightly that it needs to be moved to not touch.

@ikeyballz..

Thats also a good point; its the first time the car had been started since we fitted the Berk decat aswell as all the oil filter relocation kit and the oil cooler. I was also clearing and checking codes as it was running so perhaps something could have been adjusted?

Again, thanks for the responses, very humbling

 

As far as I know there are no mechanical adjustments (by the ECU) on the cam - sensor.
The ECU controls injection and ignition, not mechanical valve timing.
VTEC is changing to another cam profile (that has different timing) but the relation between crank and cam gears stay the same.

Were you using the OEM rubber spacers with the chrome domed washers Billman mentioned to center the cover on the tower bolts?
Are all the higher & shorter tower bolts in the right position?
(most likely - just asking)

If it ran ok at first and not later, something changed / shifted mechanically.

Billman250 Posted: Oct 4 2010, 08:32 PM
You mean the left side, ..right?


(Standing in front of the car facing the engine, the left sensor is mounted vertical, the right horizontal.

Sitting in the car looking at the engine, the right sensor is mounted vertical, the left horizontal.)


No?

 

The sensor that caught the wheel, is the one that is horizontally mounted (standing at the front of the car looking in the engine bay, on the right side)

The other side was fine.

I was using the sensors that came out of the original cover, unmodified. They still have the rubber orings on them although on one of them it does look slightly damaged - could that have been the issue?

the reason they are both damaged is my own fault, as due to a failure of deductive reasoning i swapped them over and damaged the other

I will check everything again tommorow, and i have 2 new sensors on order.

Another question I have if anyone knows; will the later ap2 sensors (2.2l, F22c?) work on my F20C1 engine?

 

The cover is warped. It's the only explanation that makes sense. The timing gear is solidly mounted and the sensor has no adjustment. Try finding another owner who's willing to let you take some measurements.

 

i spoke with the powder coaters this morning, and it never goes above 200 degrees C and is on a conveyor. They have done alot of covers before and he also remembers looking at the welding job and said that it must be that.

So it seems thats the case. I have a friend who is a fantastic welder who is going to take a look and give me his opinion.

thanks alot for all your help everyone

My last question still stands; does anyone know if the AP2 sensor will work with the AP1 engine/ecu?

thanks