1g Timing belt wont center up.

[Coder24]

ok... I get the motor in time and i pull the pin and everything and Im cranking the engine over by hand and the timing belt will not center up...I have tried to guide it over and it comes over for a few seconds but wont stay there...Its on the backside of the cam gears towards the block...Will it center up on its own?

I have replaced...

Timing belt, Tensioner, tensioner pulley, idler pulley. NO MILES on any.
thanks.

 

[94nonturboGS]

was it lined up before you pulled the pin?

Did you also do the water pump when you did the timing belt? I would have personally highly recommended it if you didn't, because you have to take basically all of that back apart to get to the water pump when you have to replace it. i am currently in the process of doing a timing belt and water pump right now, it's not fun haha

 

[ROOKIE1]

How many times did you crank it over by hand ?

 

[Coder24]

How many times did you crank it over by hand ?

well it doesnt matter now...thanks anyways...I got pissed off at it and took a pry bar and wedged it between the tensioner arm and the pulley and put a little divot in the pulley. so now i have to buy a new pulley when that one was BRAND NEW! I dunno if it will matter in the long run...but i dont wanna use it now.

 

[Coder24]

well it doesnt matter now...thanks anyways...I got pissed off at it and took a pry bar and wedged it between the tensioner arm and the pulley and put a little divot in the pulley. so now i have to buy a new pulley when that one was BRAND NEW! I dunno if it will matter in the long run...but i dont wanna use it now.

this is what it looks like...can i still use it?

 

[DSMopar]

No you can't use that now.... is your idler installed backwards or something? How about some pics of the motor etc?

 

[Coder24]

No you can't use that now.... is your idler installed backwards or something? How about some pics of the motor etc?

I have to re-order me a timing tensioner so It will be awhile. Thanks

 

[Daaan]

Are you talking about the timing belt shifts to the left? mine is shifted and has always been to the left on the cam gears. its just the way it was made. Its not falling off just right to the brim. My car ran great ever since i owned it.

1992 eagle talon n.t

 

[Daaan]

ps, it shifts back because of the guide on the oil pump sprocket.

 

[Coder24]

ps, it shifts back because of the guide on the oil pump sprocket.

yea...I see there is a guide on the oil pump sprocket but shouldn't the lip on the backside of the tensioner pulley keep it forward and center? I just dont want it to work its way off the backside of the cams and rub/cut/or jump time.

 

[DSM1G90]

Sounds like any roller isn't travelling square causing the belt to ride towards the back side.

 

[Daaan]

Sounds like any roller isn't travelling square causing the belt to ride towards the back side.

this could be the matter, but mine is off the the back side of the cam aswell. Anybody else have any input? is your belts off the the side of the cam?

 

[1AWD90]

Out of the four 2.0s that I have had it seemed to me that the belts all ran in differnt spots on the cam's. The one that I have running right now seems to run on the inside towards the motor. The last one that I just sold ran more towards the outside. So I have no idea could just be where its wore in and likes to ride. Some more info. on this would be great.

 

[gsx5104]

sometimes you have to off set the timeing and then ounce you crank the motor over every thing will line up.every time i do my timeing belt I start by off setting the crank pully counterclockwise a tooth and then go around the right cam gear and clanp it. Then i line up the other cam gear with the timeing marks and clamp it. Pull the pin and crank the motor clockwise and the off set will take up the slack and your timeing will be intime.

 

[SnowBird]

My belt is centered, but it Ive seen it creep to one side before. I guess it just worked its way back.

 

[Daaan]

as long as it doesnt go past the cam gear id say your good. my buddys goes off to the side as well.

 

[Coder24]

as long as it doesnt go past the cam gear id say your good. my buddys goes off to the side as well.

ok...I placed a washer behind the timing tensioner pulley then cranked it down...and its tight and it pulled the belt out a little bit towards the center...this washer wont hurt anything will it?

 

[DSM1G90]

is your belts off the the side of the cam?

NO, sorry - belt ride true to the center of the sprockets...

this washer wont hurt anything will it?

The washer, being a softer metal than the bolt, might cause the bolt to eventally work itself loose since you can't get the true torque requirements on the bolt to the back metal of the adjuster arm.

 

[steve]

Read up on the timing belt walking. The tensioner arm moves, moving parts wear out.

At 110k the front engine mount and the tensioner arm had worn enough that the tensioner pulley wasn't perfectly square with the timing belt anymore causing the belt to work (walk) towards the block and wear down.

Trying to force the belt forward with washers is just going to cause it to wear faster. If the tension is correct the belt will naturally center.

 

[Coder24]

Read up on the timing belt walking. The tensioner arm moves, moving parts wear out.
at 110k the front engine mount and the tensioner arm had worn enough that the tensioner pulley wasn't perfectly square with the timing belt anymore causing the belt to work (walk) towards the block and wear down.

Trying to force the belt forward with washers is just going to cause it to wear faster. If the tension is correct the belt will naturally center.

awesome...thanks! Ill remove the washer from behind it and see what it does... thanks for all the input guys! I just dont wanna have to put the motor in and then RE-DO the stuff as soon as its running due to a stupid belt...all my timing stuff is NEW by the way... like bearings tensioner belt ect.