420A Timing Belt Questions

[MeteorBurn]

Hello everyone,
I was wondering about a few things I read in the VFAQ's article on changing the timing belt on a non turbo engine (1998 eclipse RS).

At the part when it says "Move crankshaft to 1/2 notch before TDC" after aligning the camshaft timing marks and setting the crankshaft sprocket to TDC, why is that? What's the issue with just leaving it at TDC?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MeteorBurn]

This has to be the most difficult thing I've done on any car, and I've done a few jobs. I just CANNOT get the dang tensioner pulley to stop moving the belt and shifting the crankshaft and exhaust cam out of alignment. I've already tried to move the camshaft and crankshaft back or forth a tooth, no matter how many times I try I can't get it it to compensate correctly. Why does no one else have this issue?! When the tensioner pulley is torqued, is the camshaft/crankshaft supposed to move? If I clamp down both camshafts, the crankshaft then moves! I've routed it 10 different ways, but no matter what I do or even if the slack is on the tensioner side, the tensioner pulley keeps screwing all the marks out of alignment! No tutorials or instructions mention this!

 

[Zero6391]

yea its a pain trust me, but whatever u do, do not try to call it good enough and then try to start the car cuz ull bend the valves and then have to remove the head again. when your putting the belt on and applying the tension to the tensioner pulley make sure the is no slack on top of the belt between the cam gears. if there is any slack between those gears then they will rotate as the tensioner is trying to get the belt taunt. that's why I used a box wrench to rotate the cams and apply and hold the tension up top while I apply the tension on the tensioner pulley

 

[MeteorBurn]

I got it eventually. I had my dad help me (experienced car diy'er) hold one of the camshafts in place and keep the slack at a minimum near the top. We kept trying and eventually they aligned. Two rotations and it was good to go. I wish it was as easy as others made it seem, but it was quite a bit of struggling. I can't really say a particular technique worked, other then making a tooth behind for compensation or keeping slack at the top at a minimum. Repetition was the only thing that worked. If anyone else has this issue, just keep trying over and over again (all day if you have to), take breaks, and don't give up. It'll get there eventually

The engine mount bracket was a different story..........

Thanks a lot for your help zero.

 

[Zero6391]

no problem, and ive done my timing belt job on my 420 twice and the first time I had help from my dad and it went by in it seems like 2 try's but this last time I did it myself and dear god I spent it seems like forever doing it! but hey I learned so many trick doing it that I can now replace a timing belt in under 2 hours with the motor in the car still glad to hear u got it finally and don't have to worry about it for another couple of years

 

[Alex043]

Does anyone know the best performance pistons for a 98 rs eclipse??? And comp cam