Timing belt check... easiest way?

[Thor06]

Hey guys, as many of you know, Mike's car wont start but it is getting gas, spark, and has runable compression. Next to check is timing. We're thinking it jumped, but didnt bend any valves. What is the best way to check the timing belt to see if the timing marks line up? Do we have to take off the wheel and wheel well black plastic shit, then take off the timing cover? Thanks guys.

[tfoti]

Yeah you have to take off all that stuff to see where the crank is sitting when the cams are lined up. Oh, and the motor mount too to get the timing cover off. Which means you will have to find a way to support the engine. If it's AWD you can use the transfer case, just go slow and easy.

[sganc4life_4]

You can take off the top timing belt cover peice and see if your cams line up, either crank it over and try to line it up, or turn it by hand at ur crank pulley. Clockwise only by the way.

[EDMUND65]

on the cam gears there are dowels as all data call them, just go remove the cover and see if they line up they are right around the nut, mine are lined up... good luck

[defiancy]

Make sure you turn them with your crank pulley, and check your belt.

If it skipped there might be damage to the belt. It's pretty easy to fuck those belts up.

This is what happened in the GSX i bought, well that and valves falling into the cylinders.

[Thor06]

Awesome, thanks guys, I appreciate the help.

[scottsee]

When was the last time he had his T-belt changed.

[Thor06]

The guy that had it before said it was done at 90k and it has ~106k now, but it doesnt look real great. There is a shiny section all the way around the belt on the engine side on the out side of the belt (the smooth side). There seem to be pits forming in that shiney section now. We are going to have a massive DSM work day/night in a few weeks, the timing belt is on the list for then. Since actually changing the timing belt doesnt require all that much more work than checking it, I think we are just going to buy a new timing belt and change it whether thats what is wrong or not.

[tfoti]

Is the shiny stuff oil?

And just because the cams are lined up doesn't mean it isn't out of time. It would most likely skip at the crank anyway. You HAVE to look at the crank to see if it's really in time. And you have to remember to turn it over by hand several times before everything comes into phase.

I bought mine with bent valves. The cams would be in time with the oil, b -shaft but it would never line up with the crank. It was about 10 teeth off and the belt had no visible damage. Just 8 bent valves.

[Thor06]

We thought it was oil, but it doesnt come off. I'll try to take some pictures.

[kjewer1]

A shiny part on the outsde of the belt tells me it was rubbing on something, most likely plastic.

YOu can avoid taking off the lower tbelt covers by using the timing mark on the crank pulley and timing marks on the cover (for setting base ignition timing). It's not terrible accurate in all cases, but it's certainly accurate enough to spot a belt thats off by a couple teeth or more. With that crank mark lined up and the dowel pins at 12 oclock (will happen every two rotations of the crank, since the cams turn at half speed), check the marks on the 3 and 9 oclock positions of the cam gears.

Checking the belt is easy, 10 minute job. Changing it requires retiming it and potentially retensioning it, with a lot more disassembly required... If it honestly looks good after a thorough check, I would move on to other things.