95 Rodeo 3.2 Realigning timing marks

[cubs06]

Sorry to bother , I'm in the process of changing the timing belt, idler wheel, tensioner assy, and the hyd. push rod assy. I'm not sure how to align the timing marks. The passenger side cam sprocket mark is lined up correctly but the crank sprocket is at about the 4 o-clock position and the driver side cam mark is at about the 5 o-clock position. Not sure what to do. Do I put the new belt on and turn the crank clockwise to realign all 3 marks at the same time?? Or can I realign all 3 marks with the belt off somehow?? Also when trying to install the new belt should I do this with the tensioner assy. or the idler wheel off? Whats the trick when trying to install the new belt?? Or am I having difficult because my 2 marks are off so much?? Sorry for the long post, just getting desperate!! PLEASE HELP!!!

[surferfletch]

When I did my belt, I moved the gears only slightly after putting everything at TDC. The reason I had to adjust that little bit was because it was off slightly after the last shop did the belt. The only gear that you should try to move with the belt on is the crank. You'll damage the belt if you try to move everything via either cam sprocket. If they don't have to be moved far, just move them with the belt off. You'll have to temporarily put the crank bolt back in (or did I put a pulley back on?) to move the crank gear. The crank gear has a mark on either side, so one should be at 9 (line) and the other at 3 (groove). The idler pulley should be on, the hydraulic tensioner off. Put all the slack to the passenger or tensioner side. Start with the passenger side cam and go clockwise around in the right order without any slack, finally around the bottom of the crank gear. Then install the tensioner and pull the pin, taking up the slack in the passenger side of the belt. It's been a few months since I did mine. Hope I remembered right...

Add: the Haynes I have says to start at the crank and go clockwise from there (after setting the gears to the correct marks) when putting the belt on, but then you'll have to make sure the solid line on the belt matches the mark on the passenger side cam gear before going to the water pump, etc... Again, finish by bolting the tensioner in place and pulling the pin.

Good luck!

[surferfletch]

Also, it doesn't sound like you're that far off...

If you're sure you didn't rotate things way out of whack, just turn the gears to where they should be using the bolts that hold them on. Do you see the marks on the front plate for the 2 cam gears? The driver's side cam gear should actually be a little past 3 (3:15, maybe?)

[cubs06]

Thanks for your time and help! What are you refering to as far as the front plate? Is it the plate that is behind the Cam gears?? That's the only place i can find any kind of timing marks. There is 1 dot behind each cam gear on the plate that is behind the cam gears. For the crank gear there is a notch in one side and thats it. Nothing that I can see 180 on the other side. Also, the only place I can find a mark for the crank is a horizontal line on a plate behind the crank gear. After all that, I'm not so sure everything isn't out of whack. So, with the belt off, It's ok to turn the crank with gear on and line up the notch on the gear with the mark on the plate? (notch pointing toward the driver side) Now for the cam gears, it's ok to turn one at a time to line up there marks? If not and assuming everything might be out of whack, I'm lost!! Also, the new belt that I have does not have a dotted line. There is only 3 solid lines. When comparing it to the old belt with 1 dotted line a 2 solid lines, they all match up. So I'll line up the lines on the new belt accordingly. The dotted line on the old belt went 180 from the notch on the crank gear and thats how I'll start with the new belt! Thanks again!!!

[surferfletch]

Right. The front plate is behind the gears.

The notch on the crank gear should point to 3 and it also points to a mark on the oil pump housing. As long as it's at 3, I think you're good. It sounds like you're ready to slap it together! Just turn the gears as little as possible to get them in the right position.

If the previous belt didn't break, you can't be too far out.