Help with Installation of Timing Belt

Hi all again

I have just put the rebuilt head on loose with the new headbolts on my 1.3L 4 Cyl (not torqued yet) and am having trouble timing the engine right. Is there any easy way to do it? If it helps, my #1 Cylinder is at TDC, however I can't seem to get the cam location right.

Thanks!
Stan

Use the search tool. There is literally a ton of advice just waiting for you to read it. This is way faster than waiting for a response.

Jai

I was just wondering, is this a non-interference engine? the post got me to wondering....?
Bam

the sohc is a non interference engine, the dohc is a interference engine

The cam won't stay in place most of the time. Make sure all the timing marks are in place, don't worry about TDC... That's what the timing marks are for. As for the cam, have someone stick a 17mm socket on it with a breaker bar to hold it in place while you slide the timing belt on it. Torque that head down first though, or you may have some incorrect torque readings when you tighten everything. Could lead to snapped bolts, or a leaking headgasket. Did you run a thread tap through the block before you put the head back on?

Hi.

I did get the head machined, and they did all of that for me (including replacing 5 valves and all the lifters)... the only thing I found was that I couldn't turn the cam by hand as it was coming up hard on a bolt for the inner timing belt cover. I am waiting to hear back from the machine shop before installing it just in case they put the cam gear on backwards... Are these bolts necessary, or should I look at getting some low profile bolts in order to clear the gear.

Stan

There should be no bolts sticking out anywhere near the cam gear. Can you take a picture of the way it's attached? If you have the cam gear shaped like a dish, it should be "dish side" facing the engine head, and the solid side out. Sounds like they may have installed the cam gear backwards. Does your cam gear look like this?
http://img416.imageshack.us/img416/2450/untitled8bu1.jpg

Or this...
http://img416.imageshack.us/img416/8205/tg13bcam1kx.jpg

Looks like the second one.

Make sure to use the 60a mark, as the 80c is for the 3 cylinder. What is the timing set at on the dizzy? If it's really far from centre (which would have indicated the timing was really bad because of belt or engine wear) then move it back to centre while you test the belt.

Hi Jai.

Well I got the head installed, however my timing mark is just a dot on the cam gear and not the 80 or 60 cc mark. I am just about to put the timing belt on (now that I have everything done on the head except for the timing belt and the distributor, but that will be another can of worms when I start that tomorrow or Monday... hopefully the Haynes manual can help). How tight should the timing belt be? Super tight or just snug?

I will try to remember to take the digital camera and get pics when I get back to it.

Thanks!
Stan