Which guide are you following? Did you replace the hydraulic tensioner with a new one? What tool are you using to tension it? Is the belt ending up too tight or too loose?

romeen said:

Which guide are you following? Did you replace the hydraulic tensioner with a new one? What tool are you using to tension it? Is the belt ending up too tight or too loose?

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Don't have a new tensioner. The one in the car is new forgot to tighten a water pump bolt in the process of removing everything to get to the bolts. My buddy didn't clip the belt to the cam gears. I was able to compress the tensioner with a c-clamp. The issue I am having is between the ex-cam and the tensioner ends up loose. I followed the DSM Graveyard video which isn't very detailed on parts for newbies. I didn't have the tool for the tensioner so I stuck a allen wrench into it to try and hold it in place. I think this is where the issue is. I will get a pair of needle nose that have curved tips and see if I can do it with that.

Also on the crankshaft i am not sure where the mark is on the gear. I think I have it correct. I am new to this never did timing on one of these they are way different than a V8

Dont follow the vid, especially if its your first tbelt change.
Read the vfaq

If your using 90 degree needle nose ground down to fit in the holes, just use one hand to tension the pulley. Then use the other hand on the key/allen wrench in the automatic tensioner. Tension until you can feel the key easily slide back and forth.

If you tension it to tight you run the risk of breaking the belt much sooner. Too lose and it will skip a gear.

Then wait about 15-20 minutes. Rotate the crank 1/4th turn Counter Clock wise.

Then 6 turns until you come back to TDC and check the marks.

If the exhaust cam shaft is off, count the teeth its off and reposition it by that many teeth (advanced or retard depending on how its off. Mine usually needs to be retarded by 2 teeth, some times none).

I would go back to the beginning and follow the vfaq guide.

Timing Belt VFAQ


EDIT: Material removed after rereading your post.

Copied from the link that luv2rallye posted:

THE EXHAUST CAMSHAFT SPROCKET MAY ROTATE IN THE COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION AS THE BELT IS TENSIONED. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN INSTALLING THE TIMING BELT. If the camshaft sprocket timing marks don't line up after tensioning the belt with all the other timing marks lined up, loosen the belt and retension it, but try rotating the exhaust sprocket slightly clockwise (1 tooth off) first.

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Thanks guys I will check out these methods tomorrow. I will reply back and let you know how it works out.

You gotta get the bolt to loosen the tensioner. They sell a kit on ebay that i have(have not needed to use it yet) but it has 3 essential things you need to make the job easier. One is the bolt thats about a foot long, then theres a tool to help tighten the tensioner pulleys, other part, i cant remember.

My tensioner tool is just a 10" m8x1.25 threaded rod with 2 nuts locked on one end.

I had forgotten about that tool since I can't use one in my 2G with a 6 bolt.

How I made mine with the threaded rod and the two nuts jammed together on the one end. Got a pict of it in my profile pix.

It took me a while on my timing belt too. I kept second guessing myself and doing it over.
To set the tension I tightened the pulley until the grenade pin moved freely then torqued it down. Then rotated it 6 times and let it sit for alot 30 minutes came back and it still moved freely so I pulled the pin out and put it all back together.

I just got the t-belt tools once I had 50$ to spare, you can get em from Jay Racing.

Great tools. I lots that plastic thing that locks the cams in place, but its not nearly as useful as tensioner pulley tool or the long ass bolt.

To set the tension I tightened the pulley until the grenade pin moved freely then torqued it down. Then rotated it 6 times and let it sit for alot 30 minutes came back and it still moved freely so I pulled the pin out and put it all back together.

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That's the easy way to do this adjustment..

Same here. I just bought the tools from Jay racing. Made it really easy to do. Saying you can't find the timing mark on exhaust cam, intake cam or crank pulley is unacceptable. These are easy to find and it absolutely mandatory that they are correct.

romeen said:

Copied from the link that luv2rallye posted:
Quote:
THE EXHAUST CAMSHAFT SPROCKET MAY ROTATE IN THE COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION AS THE BELT IS TENSIONED. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN INSTALLING THE TIMING BELT. If the camshaft sprocket timing marks don't line up after tensioning the belt with all the other timing marks lined up, loosen the belt and retension it, but try rotating the exhaust sprocket slightly clockwise (1 tooth off) first.

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This. This is the gear that turns, the lever that lifts, or even the cherry on top. If you do this you will be dead on the first time, every time.

I call it the secret weapon.
Them: Hey I'm in a jam
Me: Off a tooth you say? Did you use the secret weapon?
Them: secret what?
Me: *retards exhaust cam 1 tooth*
Them: oooo! ahhhhh!


I also have absolutely zero use for that silly threaded rod everyone likes. But I also start my timing jobs by snipping the belt and replacing the tensioner.
I did, however, use that crank bar thing to help me get the crank bolt undone, well, that plus my starter, plus a 3 foot breaker bar.

Ok so I figured out the tension issue. Got that fixed but when I get the belt on and rotate it the 6 times it shows that it is off by like 4 teeth on the ex side. So just wondering should I start out with the exhaust cam retard 4 teeth?

Just want to make sure this is the last step in my rebuild process. Kind of sucks not having time to just fix it so I can drive the dang thing.
Thanks for all the tips and support above they helped alot.


Thanks in advance for the help

So just wondering should I start out with the exhaust cam retard 4 teeth?

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It may start but will run crappy and you could bang up the valves. Get it dialed in where it needs to be .. sorry, no 2nd chances here.

I did, however, use that crank bar thing to help me get the crank bolt undone, well, that plus my starter, plus a 3 foot breaker bar

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And a chain wrench to grab hold of the half pulley (the inner of a separated HB pulley-they're great for this job..) that you put back on the sprocket so you can torque down the center bolt to specs...major tug of war here between the two tools.