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Removing timing belt, can't align marks

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ErikTande

Supporting Member
1,505
561
Dec 17, 2012
Centennial, Colorado
I can get the bottom marks lined up (oil and crank) but the cam marks aren't very close. I'm turning the crank clockwise, I've gone around about 12 times now and it's not even close.


Any ideas? I need all 4 lined up before I pull the belt off, right?
 
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Check number 1 cylinder is at TDC on the compression stroke, at ignition, and the marks on the crank and oil pump match up. Then take a pic of the marks on the cams. Post the pics, then we can see the misalignment.
Cheers
Ross
 
I don't know how to check if cylinder 1 is at top dead center, but here's a pic of the problem. When the crank and oil pump marks are lined up, the cam marks are off by a bit.

In this pic the dowel pins on the cams are down, but the marks are off by about the same amount when they're up.


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Yep, they're wrong in the pic, but the marks are off by the same about the same amout when they're up. I'm guessing the belt was put on by the previous owner being off by one tooth.
 
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Don't worry about getting all the marks lined up when you remove the belt. Turn the engine until the dowel pins are up and the crank sprocket timing mark is lined up. The oil pump sprocket will probably move when you remove the belt anyhow.
 
I bet that car ran like crap didn't it.
That's the thing, it's been running amazing. The only reason I'm changing the belt is because the water pump crapped out and started leaking everywhere. I'm guessing the previous owner or mechanic who put the belt on wrong also put on a generic water pump or never replaced it in the first place.


The other crazy thing I found out is the front balancer belt has been broken for a LONG TIME. Check out this pic. It's all dusty and wedged up in there, it looks like it's been that way forever. Craziness I tell you!




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Cam sprockets have the two sets of marks almost 180* apart from each other, but the ones you use are the ones facing each other with the dowel pins at the 12:00 position.

Seen that before: BS belt broken and all gnarled up in the corner like that. Nice thing if you do BS elimination is that the front shaft can stay there.


Little help here with this page on the topic:

http://www.vfaq.com/mods/timingbelt-1G.html
 
I actually like to remove the belt a few teeth before Tdc, that way no pistons are at the top of the stroke where they can contact valves when re timing the engine. I'd check that the front balance shaft doesn't have any issues before throwing a belt on it.
 
I actually like to remove the belt a few teeth before Tdc, that way no pistons are at the top of the stroke where they can contact valves when re timing the engine. I'd check that the front balance shaft doesn't have any issues before throwing a belt on it.

Yeah, it spins freely, so I assume it's fine. I'm going to pop the head off and replace the head gasket, so I just need to get the marks close, right?
 
If the dowel pins on the cams were down when setting the timing, then it bent all the valves./QUOTE]
Not so fast. That is not true. Dowels go down every three turns and crank is at tdc.

You might have skipped a tooth during the middle of this job. Either way set it up correctly and move on.
 
There are 2 arrows, one on the harmonic balance, and the other on the block, line those up for TDC
 
Bet the mechanic or whoever that installed the belt previously, didn't know that the one cam sprocket will roll forward with the belt off.
This is why the usage of the two 17mm box end wrenches on the bolt end of the sprockets to get the marks back facing each other with dowel pins facing upward before the belt is laid across the top of the sprockets and then clipped down before continuing with the install....all done with the crank at TDC and BS sprockets to their respective marks.
 
If the dowel pins on the cams were down when setting the timing, then it bent all the valves.

Actually if you were to put the belt with the pins down and the marks lined up on the gears and crank than it will be right when you turn the engine over once. The cams turn half the speed of the crank. When you set the timing with the dowels up, than turn the crank over one revolution the dowels will be pointing down with the marks liked up on the cams and crank. The balance shaft will be out of phase, but that is about it. This is not the ideal way to do this, but it isn't going to bend the valves because it is the same.
 
G'day I read somewhere you can advance one belt tooth on the exhaust cam and the change is good. I know with EVO 3 cams in my VR4 head I need to load the exhaust cam a little to get the marks to line up. I hold the cams in place with two plugs I made from a self cure acrylic.
Cheers
Ross
 
True, with the belt over the two sprockets with marks facing each other, that belt, being clipped down will hold the two sprockets in place, even though the marks might be just a bit off.

This is normal until the belt gets fully and properly tensioned by the correct adjustment of the tensioner and pulley, then all three marks will align up where they are needed to be...and no "it'll do" final adjustments settings - it has to be dead on.
 
I just did mine over the weekend set cams zip tie them the put belt ight on them zip tie belt to gears then go around tensioner pully around crank then on the oil pump gear set one toth to the right and put on it then pull over last pully when u do the oil pump gear will move back one tooth and you will be all set pull the pin and check it again to be sure obviously
 
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