T-belt off by few teeth...maybe....

[scrotum]

Serpentine belt on my 1995 Dodge caravan (3.0 L engine)
broke. After replacing it car will no longer start.
Rotor in distributor turns and so do cams.
I suspect T-belt skipped few teeth.
When I remove the spark plug on cyl 1, and reach down
with screwdriver, I can never feel the top of the piston.
If the cams are turning, crank must be as well.
I'm at a loss....Why is the piston so deep below spark
plug hole ?
How can I check the timing marks ?

[jgillis]

The timing belt cover on my 94 is in 3 pieces so you can take the 2 top pieces of or it has 2 little
metal plates that you pry of that will let you see the cam marks but i'm not sure how you can see the crank mark.Don't know why you cant feel the piston,when its at the top it will be only an inch below the plug hole.

[jawss]

First of all, just to make sure, is it the timing belt you replaced or is it the serpentine belt that runs the altenator, steering pump etc?

[scrotum]

It's the serpentine belt that was replaced. It broke and got caught between pulleys. Engine died unable to turn. This is why I think the T-belt skipped few teeth.

[jawss]

OK remove the top window covers for the timing belt. Put the #1 piston to the top like before. There is a timing mark on the cam sprockets, its a small dot by the teeth. It should line up with the notch in the motor housing. If it doesnt, rotate the motor once in case you were on exhaust stroke. One of these positions should line your marks up EXACTLY! If they're off by even a bit, then yes the belt has slipped. It may have even removed some teeth on the belt. Replace it. Good luck!