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How does my timing look?

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John Mark Dongon

Proven Member
94
5
Feb 7, 2019
Stockton, California
Did my timing for the first time and for some reason the alignment on the cams are slightly off on tdc. Am I good or is it off by a tooth?
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I'm redoing my timing since I had my water pump leak. Anyways, without my belt on, the exhaust cam sits retarded.. I was wondering do I have to move both sprockets at the same time or do I just move the retard exhaust to have it alligned
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Not to be a douche, but there are so many threads and YouTube videos detailing how to do the timing belt procedure. You really need to check them and BUY THE TOOL I LINKED TO. Also, set your crank sprocket a 1/4 of an inch up past the arrow mark so that when you release the tensioner the sprocket tightens/rotates TOWARDS the arrow.
 
Not to be a douche, but there are so many threads and YouTube videos detailing how to do the timing belt procedure. You really need to check them and BUY THE TOOL I LINKED TO. Also, set your crank sprocket a 1/4 of an inch up past the arrow mark so that when you release the tensioner the sprocket tightens/rotates TOWARDS the arrow.
I'm gonna call this out. The tensioner should not be used to take up slack. Slack should be gone before tensioning. I put all marks up and turn counterclockwise a few degrees than turn back clockwise to line up again. At this point you have no slack on the idle side.
On topic just turn the cams with a wrench, put the belt on and hold it on with binder clips.

Bottom line no matter what method you use if you rotate 6 times and all marks line up and the tensioner protrusion is good then you're done.
 
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I'm redoing my timing once again and now I noticed the sprockets sit with the exhaust retarded and the intake advanced when relaxed.D I just move the exhaust to line up with the intake, or do I move both to allign with the top of the cylinder head, I'm wondering cause some people just say just move the exhaust
 
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I'm redoing my timing once again and now I noticed the sprockets sit with the exhaust retarded and the intake advanced when relaxed.D I just move the exhaust to line up with the intake, or do I move both to allign with the top of the cylinder head, I'm wondering cause some people just say just move the exhaust
It doesnt matter. It's all relative to the crank. I prefer to line up cams then thread belt and line up crank. Use a couple of simple office binder clips to hold the belt to the cams. Almost always there is some slack on the firewall side so start off with the crank just a little bit retarded. Once the belt is on the crank rotate back towards the mark. You'll know very quickly if you're off or not. If it's off just slide off crank and move accordingly. I typically rotate the exhaust cam some (intake will follow since the belt is on) only talking just a tooth or two then rotate the crank back to mark. This way there is no slack on the firewall side and you can quickly check all timing Marks. if they're ok move on to tensioning steps. If not ok line cams up again and move whatever you need to move on crank. I only do cams first then crank because if it's off you only have to fix one item instead of two

Specific to your last post get cams lined up flat across first by whatever means necessary. You could just binder clip one and then just move one or two teeth on the other and clip then rotate either to line up flat. Multiple methods will line them up flat.
 
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It doesnt matter. It's all relative to the crank. I prefer to line up cams then thread belt and line up crank. Use a couple of simple office binder clips to hold the belt to the cams. Almost always there is some slack on the firewall side so start off with the crank just a little bit retarded. Once the belt is on the crank rotate back towards the mark. You'll know very quickly if you're off or not. If it's off just slide off crank and move accordingly. I typically rotate the exhaust cam some (intake will follow since the belt is on) only talking just a tooth or two then rotate the crank back to mark. This way there is no slack on the firewall side and you can quickly check all timing Marks. if they're ok move on to tensioning steps. If not ok line cams up again and move whatever you need to move on crank. I only do cams first then crank because if it's off you only have to fix one item instead of two
I do my timing belt like this.
 
What I'm trying to say is on a natural position with the belt off, the sprockets don't allign to the top of head cylinder...
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what I'm wondering is do I move both to allign correctly with the top of the head, or do I just move the exhaust to match with the intake cause from the front view, the intake looks like it's in the middle tho it's about a teeth above the head when looking from the back

Btw when I put the intake camshaft on, it sat perfectly and didn't compress the valves when putting and tightening the caps unlike the exhaust, I'm wondering why its allignment is above the head if this is how it sits without the intake valves open
 
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Easiest way I do is clip the belt to exhaust then move it until intake and exhaust are symmetrical and clup intake. Then line them up flat. There are a dozen ways to do this. You are way over thinking this. 30 second procedure.
 
You need to hold the cam gears like in the snap shot I made from the FSM. After you've accomplished this using the T-Belt & clip (per @pauleyman) put the belt onto the rest of all the gears working around from the intake cam gear.
 

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