Timing Belt Change Question

[MSHardeman]

No the Tensioner will not automatically align anything up when it is popped, all it does is take slack out of the belt. You MUST have everything lined up BEFORE you pull the pin...

So after another 100K when it is time to change the belt again, when the Cams spring out of position after I remove the old belt, I need to move them back individually to line up their timing marks with the timing marks on the heads before I install the new belt...Is that what you are saying Lfen? I know, this question does not apply to my current situation...I'm thinking about the next time!!

I would have to both agree and disagree with these statements. If you line everything up correctly BEFORE you pull the old belt the new belt, once lined up correctly, will pull the cams back into position (which I think is what Lfen said above). Let me explain:

If you follow Bart's write up and line the notches (or green marks, I can't remember which right now) on the cam pulley's up with the marks on the head, and the notch on the crank gear with the mark on the block your timing is set at that point. When you pull the old belt the cams will spring out of alignment, as they should, and everything is still right with the world as long as you don't touch anything. Don't turn the cam pulley's and definitely don't turn the crank.

When you install your new belt you MUST line up the white lines on the belt with the notches in the cam pulley's. This will, eventually, put the cams at the correct position once everything is done. With the white lines on the cam notches (and clamped in place so they don't move) the correct number of belt teeth are between the two cams. Now, when you line up the dotted line (or double white line) on the new belt with the notch in the crank gear (and clamp it in place so it doesn't move) there are the correct number of belt teeth between the cams and the crank. At this point there will be some slack in the belt, but it will probably be pretty tight between the driver side cam and the crank because you have lined everything up. You may even have to rotate the driver side cam back towards the head mark (white line, pulley notch and head mark all lined up) because the slack is taken out of the passenger side of the timing belt at the tensioner pulley. There may be a little slack in the belt between the two cam pulleys, but you may have had to rotate the passenger side cam pulley back to it's head mark (depending on which way the cam sprang when you took the old belt off). Now that everything is lined up and clamped down when you install the tensioner pulley and pull the pin on the tensioner it should snap the cams back into position (if they weren't there already).

One big caveat on all of this: if your timing was not set right before you took the old belt off, the tensioner will not magically re-time the engine for you when you pull the pin. It will only re-align everything if it was lined up correctly in the first place (whoa....deep!! ).

If you have any reason to suspect that your timing was FUBAR before you pulled the old belt then I would start with the "getting your timing back" write up that someone posted.

[Triathlete]

^^^^ correct

[Lfen]

Yes, exactly

[PK]

Texasproton, I would like to confirm that if your new belt already has the marks on it, there is no need to count the teeth between pullies - just go by the marks.
BUT you do still need to count the number of teeth you move the crank pully, and then turn your cams the same number of teeth. Otherwise you might end up with the timing 180 degrees out. (The crank turns twice for every turn of the cams.)
Also, only ever turn the shafts (all 3) in the normal direction of rotation - never backwards.

PK

[TexasProton]

Thanks for the new information Yall, I really appreciate it. It is go time, and I'm already stuck...Here is what I did trying to establish timing from scratch.

1- I turned the Crankshaft sprocket until the itched marking line on it lined up with the timing mark on the engine at 3 O'clock
2- I turned the RH Cam clockwise until the pulley sprung back to 12 O'clock (matching the timing mark on the engine
3- I turned the LH Cam clockwise until it sprung to 9 O'clock then I turned it 90 degrees until the itched timing mark on the pulley lined up with the timing mark on the engine at 12 O'clock
4- I lined up the line on the belt with timing marks on the RH pulley and clipped it
5- I lined up the line on the belt with the timing marks on the LH pulley and clipped it
6- Here is my problem: The belt is one tooth off on the crankshaft sprocket before the notch on the sprocket!!

What am I doing wrong? There is only one position where the cam pulleys would spring back to 12 and 9 O'clock...Correct?

My phone # is 512-497-7075...If anyone would like to guide me over the phone

Thanks a lot

[TexasProton]

Update: Great news...I think I got it. I rotated the LH Cam pulley a few times until it sprung back again to what I thought was the 9 O'clock position, then turned the Cam another 90 degrees until the timing mark on the pulley lined up with the 12 O'clock timing mark on the engine...Lined up the two Cam pulley lines and there it was the double line (Mine did not come with a dotted line) lined up with the notch on the crankshaft sprocket at 3 O'clock, roughly 190 degrees from the itched timing Mark on the Crankshaft sprocket. Now all the timing marks line up with the lines and the timing marks on the engine.

Does the above sound safe to move forward?

Thank you

[jasonm621]

Your off to a right srart! However, I believe the notch on the crankshaft should be pointing to the 9 o' clock position and the painted tick mark should be at the 3 o'clock per the pictures I posted. Take a few pictures and post them up. I'd like to see pictures where you're at before i feel comfortable giving the green light! Or call me and describe what you have if you aren't sure after comparing pictures... 720-404-7725

[TexasProton]

How do I load pictures to this forum?

[jasonm621]

Go to your profile and view your gallery. Once there you can upload images to your gallery. When your images are uploaded you then go to the thread you want to add your image. Go to the bottom of the page and click "go advanced" You'll have a side bar to the right with a bunch of smiley faces and a section of "my pics" click open and it should open another window where you click which picture you want to add. When you click the picture it will automatically post the image location link to your post. Click Preview post to confirm you have the right image, once it looks good click submit reply and viola. You now successfully added an image to a post...

[TexasProton]

I do not think I have permissions to add photos! Do I need to subscribe to the gallery first?

[jasonm621]

Anyone should be able to load images. Ive noticed that sometimes it doesnt work automatically when i click the image you can always copy the photo location and add it in between image brackets as shown: [IMG] you image location here [/IMG]

[TexasProton]

Update...NOT looking good...I tried to start it, but she wouldn't go, the engine just kept on turning (not making the usual sound you usually hear when you are cranking the engine). Now, the VX has not been started in 2.5 months, so I don't know if this has something to do with it, or if I'm just doomed and have to redo everything allover again for the third time!!!

Two additional notes:
1- When I first cranked it, I saw smoke (more like fume, not smoke from something burning) coming from around the Air cleaner area
2- The battery got drained to 60% after trying to crank the engine four times

Now I have a horrible feeling that the timing might be 180 degrees off, and I hope I did not blow up the engine! I probably should've taken the valve cover off to make sure the marks on the gears lined up...too late!! I am so frustrated I could cry, then again, who am I kidding...I already did!

I still don't see where to load the pics, I don't see anything under my profile to suggest I could load anything! I've never loaded any pictures since I joined the forum. Once I am able to load the pictures you will see that the belt was lined up with all the timing marks. The notch on the crankshaft sprocket was at 9 O'clock...It was not in line with the green dot on the engine!

[Triathlete]

Sounds like backfire which would be a good indicator that the timing is definately off. I would start from scratch following method of lost timing layed out in the manual.

[Cstoops72]

I just figured out how to load pics myself.... Go to the home page and you will see a column on the left side. Home, forums, gallery, chat etc... Click on gallery. Now along the top of the screen you need to click where it says gallery links.... In the drop down menu select "my gallery". On that screen you will see the upload photo link

[TexasProton]

I must be totally BLIND...I do not see "Gallery Links" anywhere at the top of the screen!! I clicked on "Home" to go to the home page, then I clicked on "Gallery" from the column on the right...No ""Gallery Links" at the top of the screen!! I really would like to post the pictures I have, may be someone can see what I'm doing wrong!!

Billy:
I don't get how the timing got screwed up, I followed the instruction in the video and in the manual:

1- I turned the crankshaft clockwise until the itched line on the crankshaft sprocket lined up with the timing mark on the oil pump cover at 3 O'clock
2- I turned the right Cam until the pulley sprung to the 12 O'clock position on its own and lined up with timing mark on the Head at 12 O'clock
3- I turned the left Cam until it sprung to the 9 O'clock position, then I turned it clockwise another 90 degrees until it lined up perfectly with the timing mark on the Head at 12 O'clock
4- I lined up the lines on the belt
5- All timing marks on the pulleys lined up with the timing marks on the engine
6- The double line on the timing belt lined up with the notch on the Crankshaft sprocket at 9 O'clock

What could I have missed? If I take the damn thing apart again, what do I need to do different? This has become "groundhog" Weekend, The VX version, except it is the same weekend over and over again instead of the same day over and over again!!

Thanks again for all the help and Tips