Quick Timing Mark Alignment Question

[nsta]

Hey guys, please see pics below, when adjusting timing on the cam gears, which part of the hole needs to be corresponding to the timing mark itself (does the hole need to be in the middle of the mark, or the hole need to line up to the edge of that gear tooth? the pics below will explain much more clearly, please tell me which way is correct for lining up.

Thanks:)

[Duncan]

hole lines up to the mark (figure A). the timing belt will sort of force you to get the right place though because the distance between the 2 gears is fixed by the length of the timing belt between the 2 gears. Put the belt on and you will see you can only get option A.

[nsta]

Thanks, so basically with my new greddy timing belt, the lines shoud match up perfect from the belt to the timing marks on the cam gear cover??

Also, with the new belt, how do i know which line corresponds to which cam gear, or timing mark?, i can roughly see it myself (imaginin it linig up)

Edited January 20, 2008 by nsta

[Duncan]

yes, and once the belt is over both gears you will see they both line up to the marks (or you are a whole tooth out).

Once you've put the belt on, rotate the motor a time or 2 to make sure everything is clearing OK.

[wrxhoon]

The lines on the belt are there only to assist you to fit the belt on and when you spin the engine a few times they will NOT line up again . You will notice the lines on the belt are at different lenghs, place the belt near its possition and you will see how it should go.

Tha main thing is to line up the cam gears with the marks on the backing plate and the crank gear must line up with its mark at the same time . Make sure you have a good tensioner ( I like to use a new one) and the carrect tension on the belt .

[nsta]

Thanks im doing it for the first time, i understand that its the cam gear and crank gear marking plate that needs to be lined up perfect, but as per the first question, if i need to line them up as they are in figure one thats what i'll do.if figure 2 is wrong then ill change immediately, as thats how its lined up currently, but i was unsure so i didnt go any further.

As for the crank gear marking, i was told you line up the leftmost line on the gear (or the most anticlockwise one) to the timing mark, mine is coloured orange....is this correct?

How do we remove the crank pulley???also when lining up all the marks, is it ok to do it without the belt on, so that when all the mark are aligned, i can just chuck new belt on and crank the engine by hand to do a final adjustment.

Thanks.

Edited January 20, 2008 by nsta

[Duncan]

no, the crank gear should be lined up before you put the balancer back on, like the cam gears. the crank gear has 1 dot on a tooth which you line up with the mark on the oil pump. Once the balancer is on (and therefore the belt is in place) you can turn it to wherever you want. The orange mark is 0o BTDC for checking base timing with a timing light - this is affected by the position of the crank angle sensor not the timing belt.

[wrxhoon]

I hope you don't have the timming belt off, you should take the balancer off first and then you take off the covers . Once you take the belt off you can't go turning the crank or the cams, if you do you may bent a valve or few. A few degree movement if ok .

I can't understand how you can take the belt off without removing the harmonic balancer if you have . If you never done a timming belt before be very carefull , you can do a lot of damage to your engine if you don't do it right. Follow the workshop manual step by step and if you are not sure then ask away .

As Duncan said the marks on the harmonic balancer are for ignition timming, not valve timming .

These can be a bastard to pull off, the nut is very tight and you can't even use a rattle gun unless you have the air con condenser out. I use the starter to undo the nut and then you need a gear puller to pull the balancer off, whatever you dont use a hammer or a claw gear puller ( you will damage the balancer ).

I don't understand what you asking in the first post ( Duncan does ), how about when you put the belt on put a pic of the front of the engine showing all the marks then I can tell you if you have it right. like I said its the gear marks that have to line up not the belt marks.

[nsta]

Now im very worried, basically the belt is off from the top two cam gears (but not down the bottom at the balancer)...as i jst done a head gasket replacement.....and the head needed to be off

Before i placed the head back on, we got the crank pulley bolt right out (the 30mm one i think it is), but didnt remove the pulley off or the cover, as i had no balancer removal tools available).

Am i in trouble?

[wrxhoon]

Now im very worried, basically the belt is off from the top two cam gears (but not down the bottom at the balancer)...as i jst done a head gasket replacement.....and the head needed to be off

Before i placed the head back on, we got the crank pulley bolt right out (the 30mm one i think it is), but didnt remove the pulley off or the cover, as i had no balancer removal tools available).

Am i in trouble?

Not at all, you only told us half the story.

As the head is off you can turn the bottom as much as you like, no valves to hit!!!!

You did the right thing by taking the bolt off, now all you need to do is take the balancer off , you will see two treaded holes on the balancer , so you need a gear puller to and 2 m8 bolts, if you are in Sydney and you want to travel to the hills area I will lent you nine if you like as long as its a boomerang.

[nsta]

Hey thanks for the offer:), i still think im in trouble mate, we loosen that bolt and its right off(the 30mm one), we done this before putting the head back on....the head is already back on, and the bottom timing was not setup, and the top cam gears timing was aligned once the head was on!!!, the crank was turned by hand when the head was off only so the bolt would come out....

Im scared of what im hearing now....

Edited January 21, 2008 by nsta

[Guilt-Toy]

go over there and fix it Jerry

A mobile mechanic of your knowledge would make a bit of coin

[nsta]

Is there a possibility of the valves being bent as the head has been put back on without the timing on the crank or cams being set?, even though the motor has not been started???, i need some advice, i dnt want to hear it but i may have to...im picturing the pistos crushing the valves that me be have been in contact when the head was slapped on....could i be on the right path???or does it take alot more revolutions for the valves to bend etc?ie the motor starting up and idling.....

Edited January 21, 2008 by nsta

[wrxhoon]

Here we go slowly we are getting the full story , how about telling us exacly what you have done fron the start to now , step by step EXACLY and don't leave anything out even if you don't think it matters, then and only then I maybe able to guide you on what to do.

[blind_elk]

Is there a possibility of the valves being bent as the head has been put back on without the timing on the crank or cams being set?, even though the motor has not been started???, i need some advice, i dnt want to hear it but i may have to...im picturing the pistos crushing the valves that me be have been in contact when the head was slapped on....could i be on the right path???or does it take alot more revolutions for the valves to bend etc?ie the motor starting up and idling.....

If there was any interference, I doubt the head would have gone back on. So you shouldn't have bent valves at that point.

So, it will be possible to align the bottom and top ends. You can V E E R R R Y S L O W L Y turn the crank. If you strike ANY resistance, STOP. Check which pistons are near TDC (a long screwdriver through the spark plug hole works well), and check which valves are fully open. Then jiggle the cams so that the valves are no longer fully open on the pistons at TDC. Again, ANY resistance, STOP; work out where the interference is happening.

Failing that, you are probably going to have to pull the head, and do it again ... properly (hint - RTFM).