You have to remove the timing belt tensioner(the tensioner, not the tensioner pulley that you manually adjust). 2 bolts to remove it, then you manually compress it with either a C-clamp, or vise block, make sure to go slowly and carefully while compressing it, also make sure that it can't be compressed easily, if it compresses with your bare hands its junk, also make sure there is no oil seeping out around the pin, which also means it should be replaced. Once you compress the tensioner, find a pin, or small allen wrench or some such, to put through the hole on the tensioner body, and into the hole on the tensioner pin, its a good idea to make sure they are lined up first before compressing, sometimes the hole in the pin rotates and isn't lined up with the hole in the body. Once compressed, and has a pin in it to hold it in a compressed state, put it back on(make sure you put the pin on the correct side so you can remove it with the tensioner installed). After you put it back on, adjust the tensioner pulley to be slack so you can get the belt on, once the belt is on, triple check everything lines up right, then set the tension, make SURE the tension is correct(consult a timing belt replacement guide or service manual for setting belt tension), and that you torque the bolt down for the tensioner completely. I've found its somewhat easy to screw up the TB tension on these cars due to the process being a little unnecessarily(imo) complicated.

Thank you very much for your help, going to try right now and will update!

Kdouglas89 said:

Thank you very much for your help, going to try right now and will update!

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If you need other/more info/details:
http://www.ilostmymind.com/manuals/DSM_manual/vfaq/mods/timingbelt-1G.html

A trick to get the gears to not jump teeth when you take the pin out is use spring loaded clamps to hold the belt firmly on the gear

northernawd said:

A trick to get the gears to not jump teeth when you take the pin out is use spring loaded clamps to hold the belt firmly on the gear

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Or zip ties, which anyone who owns a dsm ought to have a few of lying around.

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I got the belt on, every mark is lined up except exhaust side "white mark". Intake "red" is even with the deck, but exhaust is about half tooth off. Have rotated 6 times, and alll marks still line up exactly like this.

Is this ok?

Kdouglas89 said:

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I got the belt on, every mark is lined up except exhaust side "white mark". Intake "red" is even with the deck, but exhaust is about half tooth off. Have rotated 6 times, and alll marks still line up exactly like this.

Is this ok?

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Doesn't look like you have either one of them flush with the deck, and it does look like its off by a tooth, check that guide I linked, it shows a pretty good picture of how they should look, also, when you're running the belt make sure it engages all of the teeth it touches, sometimes it might not want to, and it can lead to it not lining up by like half a tooth. Its kind of tricky and might take you a few times.

Give us a wider shot. Just from casual glance id say neither one are right. Do you know where to compare? You dont have them pointing at each other. You use the parting line of the cylinder head. I'm not 100 percent convinced you know what you're looking at.

Use two box wrench to hold them line up, then tighten the tensioner after. Hope that help also check the line in bottom to see groove is line up with the mark

What it appears like to me is the intake isnt quite on. If that is true it appears to me the exhaust would be a tooth off if you lined up the intake correctly.

pauleyman said:

Give us a wider shot. Just from casual glance id say neither one are right. Do you know where to compare? You dont have them pointing at each other. You use the parting line of the cylinder head. I'm not 100 percent convinced you know what you're looking at.

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Yes, they should be lined up with the deck of the head. The intake is exactly on point, but the exhaust is about half a tooth off. I will take another picture.

Look closer. They do not look lined up at all to me.

Cause when you let tighten the tensioner the exhaust side will pull it little bit, make it a little crocked on the exhaust side just a little

It's not line up bro

Survey says? No. Still wrong. Same answer I already gave you. If the crank is lined up then you have slack in the idle side in my opinion and you need to read up before you proceed. try this
http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/ar...t-you-shouldnt-be-after-you-read-this.450253/

Ya, I am starting to see they are to far off. I will give it another should in the morning haha

I lost track ofhow many belts ive changed years ago.

Kdouglas89 said:

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I tried to get the best angle with the deck as I could.

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Intake needs to rotate counterclockwise and exhaust clockwise. The marks need to be perfectly even.

I will update in the morning. I really appreciate everyones help!

Edit : It may seem that I am trying to rush this, but I really am not. This car wont't be cranked up till everything absolutely lines up!

One of the best things I did to make this job a lot easier was to buy the jays racing timing belt kit. Even though for us 6-bolt swapped 2g owners, which makes the bolt useless, the plastic cam gear insert is amazing! If you manage to get that lined up (and all other timing marks too) and shove it in between the two cam gears... you will be golden. It helped a ton with my TB job. my .02

Here's the link to the kit. I think they sell the pieces separately also.
http://www.jayracing.com/timing-belt-tools-c-17_229/jay-racing-timing-belt-tools-kit-p-214.html

(on a side note it still helps having one person turn the motor while someone else shoves the cam gear insert into place

pauleyman said:

I lost track ofhow many belts ive changed years ago.

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This look better? You can see the deck of the head behind the marks.

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Kdouglas89 said:

This look better? You can see the deck of the head behind the marks.

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Yep, thats how it should look. Notice how the marks are directly in line with each other, and if you look behind them, they are also level with the head of the deck, also, I forgot to mention, but make sure your dowel pins on the cam gears are in the right location as well.

Yes sir that's better, make sure to rotate it 3 or 6 time to make sure they all line up on marks