Camshaft Sensor 180 degree's out??

[RoadWarrior]

Hi all, as the title suggests my camshaft sensor is out 180 degrees.

I put mine in the block and put the bolt through it, looking through puma projects the other day, I noticed it has a metal clip holding it the other way around?

(Image is a project off the internet note the metal clip around the camshaft sensor through the hole.)
The camshaft sensor is to the left near the coilpack, leaving the clip out and putting the bolt in (180 degrees the other way) shouldn't make it not idle and throw timing codes up, should it?

Will it need putting the correct way around?

 

[zinc2000]

Would the connection being the wrong way not connect the sensor upside down? surely that would then send wrong readings, if any
Or have i misunderstood your post
picture of yours might help make it clearer

 

[RoadWarrior]

There's a hole in the actual camshaft sensor, I've lined that up and put the bolt in, and not got the metal clip that's shown on the image above, as I've misplaced it.

I also thought it'd send wrong readings being 180 degrees out, or why would Ford fabricate a little clip to hold them the other way around?

My car has a EML for advanced timing, I need to take the spark plugs out and properly check if the timing is out (hitting valves) as I only did a little test and the spanner was falling off as soon as resistance come, once the spark plugs are out there'll be little compression making the job easy to check if valves are colliding.

Also, you can't put them upside down as they sink down into the top of the engine.

 

[RoadWarrior]

There's a better picture, the metal clip holding the camshaft sensor on, I don't have, I have the black hole (apart of the camshaft sensor) bolted into the block, thus being 180 degrees out. If you understand what I mean?

I'm thinking it's like the top picture for a reason, and it's throwing a EML up for advanced timing. I will investigate properly tomorrow when hopefully the absolute nob that has parked bumper to bumper with my car, moves their van. :evil:

I'm also thinking, if my timing was out and valves were bent, my car would be way under power, I've had cars with bent valves and they don't perform as well as mine was before I parked it up a little over three weeks ago.

 

[zinc2000]

Have to be honest when I did my rocker gasket the other week I actually wondered what if anything that little metal bracket did, held one end but not the other.
Surely the bolt itself should hold it in place
Ah just seen the pic, what you mean is .you have put the bolt through the hole on the right of pic
You may have to spin the sensor then fabricate a similar bracket, even a plate over the top of the terminal may work and allow you to put the sensor in the right place, guess there is a reason it has to be that way round, Fords bracket does seem a bit Heath Robisonish though

 

[Wild E. Coyote]

The sensor is magnetic type (hall sensor, if I am not mistaken) and it picks up the notches on inlet camshaft as it rotates. The sensor is radially positioned and its orientation is dictated just by the length of the cable connecting to it. You can turn it anyway you like and it should't affect its operation in any way as long as the gap to the camshaft is kept at prescribed limit (most probably 1-2 mm as is the norm for Hall sensors)

 

[RoadWarrior]

But mine is pointing out by way more than 1-2mm lol

 

[tuonokid]

What Sinisa is saying is that the bottom of the cam sensor needs to be 1-2mm away from the lobe on the cam to detect when to fire the injectors. It doesn't matter what angle of rotation the sensor is in the hole in the rocker cover, it will still work.

 

[RoadWarrior]

OK. Also removed spark plugs and properly checked the engine, will be acquiring a new one next week. It's fubard as suspected. Best to double check before chucking money into a new one, eh.