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Wobba
03-03-2008, 11:16
Right, I am now onto another major part of putting the head back on: The timing belt!

I want to get this straight to make sure I dont fuk it up.

I have pistons 1 & 4 at tdc under the head. The head cam pulleys say they are both at 12 o'clock, though I think one of them may need tiny adjusting.

Question 1: How do I crank just a single cam to get it positioned perfectly?

Question 2: Although I have the crank pulley at 6 o'clock and marked up in line with both marks, do I have to make sure the special tool is in the tdc bit to stop any movement? I don't really understand this. I don't have any special tool...

3. Lining up the marks on the gearbox. Is this simply a case of cranking the engine? Does it need to be in gear? Dont get it...

Chris H
03-03-2008, 11:19
turn the cams with your hands or if your a girl a spanner on the bolt.

Don't bother your arse with the locking tool, if its lined up its fine, theres probably even marks on the new belt which you can line up with the marks on the pulleys to take out the guess work.

Wobba
03-03-2008, 11:36
I have tried turning them by hand, to no avail! I must be a girl :(

Chris H
03-03-2008, 11:44
if they have been sitting for a while they can be stiff especially if theres the usual sitting for a while coating of rust.

Just turn it slightly with a spanner to line them up.

Wobba
03-03-2008, 11:57
I'll give it a go, thanks :D

Wobba
03-03-2008, 13:07
Which direction are the arrows sposed to go on the belt?

Robb
03-03-2008, 14:06
Clock wise. I found using the little metal clamp used for claming the battery down was useful! I used a screw from the cam cover and tightened it onto the pulleys to keep them still as they flick over just as theyre bang on right :lol:

number1
03-03-2008, 17:44
Usually these days the belts have white lines on them to indicate timing positions, ive done countless belts and only locked a crank once, its the pulleys that move around when there bang on! put a 15/16mm spanner on the end and move them slightly, Top tip tho dont put the belt right on the pulleys until the belt is on all the pulleys and tensioners, leave it overhang as much as possible, helps you get them on, just push the belt on once your happy with the marks being in the right place

Always crank the engine over at least twice once the belt is on to make sure no valve piston relationships are occuring..

When i think ive got the tension about right i fire it up for about 5 seconds, switch it off and recheck tension

number1
03-03-2008, 17:46
Oh btw the writing on the belt should be outwards i.e you can read the writing.

summeh
03-03-2008, 18:37
make sure you crank it over by hand with a spanner/wrench on the crank pulley a few times, i.e. not with the starter motor! So long as the lines/notches all line up then your set.

From memory I think it takes 4 complete turns of the crank for the lines to line up once again on the cam pulleys (you'll see what i mean).

Wobba
03-03-2008, 20:24
Right, thank you for the tips :D

I am SO close. Putting everything together is EASY compared to taking it off haha! If I had tomorrow off work I reckon I could start her up!

So, 4 turns of the crank = 1 revolution of a cam pulley. I get ya.

Would putting it in gear make it a lot harder to crank manually?

I will manually do it to make sure I have not cocked it all up.

I reconnected the exhaust downpipe today to the manifold, and resprayed a few odds and sods while rain stopped play :)

Some of the locals were having a good snoop on the street at my shiney engine bay today, as they are used to just seeing it in a heap of crap hehe.

Allan
03-03-2008, 20:47
Right, thank you for the tips :D

I am SO close. Putting everything together is EASY compared to taking it off haha! If I had tomorrow off work I reckon I could start her up!

So, 4 turns of the crank = 1 revolution of a cam pulley. I get ya.

Would putting it in gear make it a lot harder to crank manually?

I will manually do it to make sure I have not cocked it all up.

I reconnected the exhaust downpipe today to the manifold, and resprayed a few odds and sods while rain stopped play :)

Some of the locals were having a good snoop on the street at my shiney engine bay today, as they are used to just seeing it in a heap of crap hehe.


yes it will make it a lot harder, and also make the car move :P so don't do it!

Allan
03-03-2008, 20:48
i think it will be more then 4 turns, he means 4 times you will see the white marks go past before it all lines up.

if you want to make it a little easier to crank over take out the sparkplugs you dont have to fight the compression then.

MicKPM
03-03-2008, 21:25
Deffo remove the plugs, ensure the car's in neutral and turn it over by hand a few complete revolutions. You can't bend valves easily this way but the starter motor will! Don't get all upset after you've turned the crank x4 times and you see the nice new white belt marks don't line up with the machined marks on the cam pulleys... cos that's fine!

As long as the actual machined timing marks line up rotation after rotation that's all that matters. Also, put the aux belt bottom pulley on to or else the timing belt will try and start to wind itself off the crank sprocket as you turn it.

Admit it... you've had fun ;)

Wobba
03-03-2008, 21:36
The games still afoot, so who knows what headache I got to deal with next! The sparks plugs are not in yet, just my nice new dizzy and rotor arm, and new dizzy o-ring :)

At the moment, the crank pulley is dead on it's mark so 1 & 4 are TDC. The two cam pulleys are almost dead on, the exhaust one is spot on I think while the inlet one is about 5mm more advanced.

I can't do anymore work until the weekend as work prohibits my time :( . During the evenings I am working on refurbishing trim, and now giving the inlet manifold a thorough clean, as it is covered in shiz and the inside has a lot of crap lining the insides.

This weekend I will fit the cambelt, then I'll move onto the cooling system and refit the rad etc, then the inlet manifold and piping to it, and then the electricals.

Hmm, come to think of it, I had best put the oil back in the engine before cranking anything!

Allan
03-03-2008, 22:34
:) make sure you get the right grade ;)