HELP!
 

I'd been wanting to pull the cam angle sensor for quite some time to replace
the O-ring as it had been seeping oil for quite some time. I finally got the
opportunity but I know now, I should have waited. I tried to do it when the
engine was still pretty hot..........stupid, I know now. The idea is to mark
the alignment and ease it straight out, replace the O-ring and ease it
straight back into place, matching the marks,

I had no idea that there was so little room to get this little sob in and
out of the space. ANYWAY, long story-short, I'm having one hell of a time
getting the alignment of the sort-of propeller shaped deal in the sensor to
match up the sort-of slot shaped deal in the engine. Much as I've tried, I
can't seem to hit it perfect which may be required to get this dang thing
back together.

Anyone overcome this problem before, have any helpful hints (other than, be
more patient next time)?

Thanks,
Chris
92BB&T

Chris D'Agnolo wrote:
> I'd been wanting to pull the cam angle sensor for quite some time to replace
> the O-ring as it had been seeping oil for quite some time. I finally got the
> opportunity but I know now, I should have waited. I tried to do it when the
> engine was still pretty hot..........stupid, I know now. The idea is to mark
> the alignment and ease it straight out, replace the O-ring and ease it
> straight back into place, matching the marks,
>
> I had no idea that there was so little room to get this little sob in and
> out of the space. ANYWAY, long story-short, I'm having one hell of a time
> getting the alignment of the sort-of propeller shaped deal in the sensor to
> match up the sort-of slot shaped deal in the engine. Much as I've tried, I
> can't seem to hit it perfect which may be required to get this dang thing
> back together.
>
> Anyone overcome this problem before, have any helpful hints (other than, be
> more patient next time)?
>
> Thanks,
> Chris
> 92BB&T
>
>

Have you looked at this page from miata.net?

http://www.miata.net/garage/cas_oring.html

One other page mentions that it can be hard to get things lined up
again, and that the new, fatter o-ring will be harder to push in than
the old one.
One of the articles also mentions that the sensor only goes in one way,
basically that you can't put it in backwards. If you have lost your
alignments marks, it should be an easy enough job to reset your timing
once you have it all back together.

Good luck!

Pat
'91 red