Setting Valve Timing

[CanadianRanger]

I have a 94 3.2l 4x4 autotranny. I had to take the heads off to fix a leaking headgasket. While they were off i had a local machine shop recondition the heads. Now when i put them bck on i cant seem to line up all the timing marks on the belt with the mrks on the camshaft plates, and the crankshaft. A friend of mine told me something about there being two timing marks and only one works.I tried the ones that i could see but the engine will not start. it has spark and fuel so im thinkin it is not timed properly. If someone ould tell me the procedure and the correct locations of the timing marks on the camshaft plates, and the crank shaft. ( i can see the one on the drivers side of the oil pump) but am owndering if it is the proper one. I have one of the chiltons manuals but cant tell when they are talking about the sohc engine and the dohc engine. Thank you

[superfret78]

Ok...I'm no expert here, but I think you should line up the mark on the crankshaft sprocket with the mark on the oil pump..which will be on the driver's side. Since you think the timing is off and you have the heads back on, you can't see the #1 piston to see if its at TDC. What I suggest you do is take your compression tester and put it on cylinder #1 and then manually turn the engine over and see if where the compression is highest lines up with the crankshaft mark. NOt entirely sure that will work if the timing is severely screwed up, but when you have the highest compression, your #1 piston should be at TDC. From there you'll have to adjust the cams. If the camshafts were put into the heads correctly and the sprockets were put on correctly, then you should be able to line them up. Don't rotate them all the way around to line them up though....move them in whichever direction is the shortest to get them on the marks.... i.e. if the mark on the sprocket is just a little clockwise of the mark on the backing plate, carefully move the cam counterclockwise to line it up. If its a little behind, move it clockwise. I think you can do that and be ok....if you go all the way around you could damage the valves. If the cams were not set in correctly, then you'll probably have to go back in there and do that. Note that I'm not entirely positive about this...I've not done a head gasket on one of these things before. Short of taking the heads back off to be sure, this is the only way I can think to fix your problem. Take it with a grain of salt.

[rodeo02]

You can also use a thin wooden dowel down the plug hole to find TDC on #1. Dowel at it's highest point = TDC. IIRC, then you set that head with the valves closed for cyl #1. I'm prolly way off though I don't have a shop manual .
G/luck
Joel