New timing belt=My car won't start!!!

[ddt88hb]

If anyone knows what I messed up please let me know.

I changed my timing belt and drive belts last weekend and now my car will not start.
I have fuel to the rail and the fuel pump is working.
I have spark to the plugs.
All fuses check out ok.
The starter cranks over but the engine will not fire.
The only thing I can figure is I messed up the timing, but the sprockets were not disturbed in the process and the belt fits fine.
Help, help, help... I am about to kill my car!!!!!

[AZmike]

I tried changing my belt the same way and it still ended up being off a tooth or two. You need to put the both crank and cam at TDC and try again. I had good luck turning the cam gear using the old timing belt and a stick as a lever. Just use the bolt on the crank and have someone else watch for teh TDC mark on teh flywheel. Always spin the engine once by hand to make sure nothing will hit before trying to start it.

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

When you put the new belt on, did you make sure all the slack was to the right side of the cam sprocket (towards the firewall)? Cuz you need to wrap the belt around the gear on the crank, then pull it up on the left and wrap it around the cam gear so that there is no slack at all in the belt on the left side between the 2 gears. Otherwise the timing will be way off as soon as you crank it. Also, did you remember to turn the engine over by hand (counterclockwise, of course) 3 times before tightening the timing belt tensioner?

If you're getting spark and fuel, then the only thing left is air, which would be timing. You could use a flashlight to look in and turn the engine over until the "+" mark lines up with the timing pointer, then look to see if the "UP" on the inside of the cam gear is lined up with the valve cover bolts (exactly lined up). If it's not, even by a little, then your timing is off.

:)

[ddt88hb]

Thanks.

How do I know when the crank is at TDC, 'cause I can't see anything in that little hole? And do I line the sprockets up individually or do I keep turning them together until they both line up where they're supposed to be?

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

The flywheel might be a little rusty, making it hard to see the timing marks. I took the little wire brush attachment from my dremel and stuck it in there while the car was running and it cleaned all the rust right off. Once it's clean you just have to turn it real slow (and I mean slow...that flywheel will spin quicker than you think!), and look for the white "+" to appear, and there will be a little stationary pointer on the right to line it up with. Line the pointer up exactly with the horizontal line of the + mark.

For the sprockets, keep turning them together until you get close to where you want to be. I'd align the flywheel at TDC first, then take the t-belt off and align the cam gear. The UP mark isn't going to point straight up and down, but will need to be aligned exactly with the valve cover bolts, which angle forward slightly. You'll also see 2 grooves on the inside of the cam gear (on the outer ring, one on each side 180 degrees apart), and they shoud both be visible but flush with the cylinder head. It's easier if you get your head down as close to the cyl head as you can, and close one eye to get it aligned. Then be sure when you put the belt back on that it's TIGHT with no slack at all on the left side, then tighten the tensioner properly before cranking

If you get it back together and it's still off, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take some kind of paint with a small brush, and make a line on the belt and sprocket to show where it's at. Then if you just need to adjust it a tooth or 2, it gives you a reference point to go by to get it exact. Of course this mark becomes useless after you crank it since the cam turns at 1/4 the speed of the crank, so they won't line up again with each revolution.

:)

[ddt88hb]

ok thanks a bunch, i'll try it in the morning.