timing belt

[nappyroots827]

hey guys, quick question, i don't feel like taking my car to a shop to have the timing set for 150 dollars if i can do it myself...first off, how do i know if my timing belt is on completely right, second of all, how can i set my distributor timing? sorry, i could rebuilt and engine if i had to but i just don't seem to understand the timing part

[Moodybluesr]

The timing belt has almost nothing to do with your ignition timing. Ignition timing is rather easy to do on our cars with a decent timing light following the instructions in a manual (FSM preferred). The timing belt is what connects your cam sprocket to your crank sprocket to maintain the correct timing between you pistons and valves. If the belt breaks you run the possibility of the valves striking the piston tops and bending (or putting holes in the pistons) so you need to make sure the belt is replaced at proper interevals (every 60k miles). This is a more complex (and time consuming) job that can be done by the home mechanic without many special tools, as long as you have a little patience... and a way to break loose the crank pulley bolt.

[SteveDX89]

In order to check to see if the timing belt is right, you need to put the #1 cylinder at TDC. There will be an UP mark on the cam gear and two marks on each side of the UP mark at 90 degrees in each direction. They are just lines. They might be on the back side of the cam gear, I can't remember which right now. Those lines should line up with the surface of the head and the UP mark should point up. If they don't line up, you need to slip the belt off the cam gear, turn the cam so it lines up right and then slip the belt back on.

To set your ignition timing, you need a timing light. Hook it up to the battery and the #1 spark plug. There will be a plug in the engine block on the front where the tranny bolts up. It's right above the engine stamp. You're plug may be missing in which case there's just a hole. Disconnect and plug the vacuum lines on the distributer and shine the light in the hole. You will see a pointer on the tranny side and marks on the flywheel should be visible. The middle line should line up with the pointer. If not, you need the loosen the distributer and rotate it so it lines up.

[Oldblueaccord]

[QUOTE=Moodybluesr]The timing belt has almost nothing to do with your ignition timing.

I dont think that is correct. If your timing belt is off one tooth your ignition timing will be off. Might want to rethink that.


The timing belt is relatively easy to do. The hardest part is breaking the nut loose on the main pully. Its on there very tight and its hard to jam up the motor so it wont turn when your trying to lossen it. I use an impact wrench myself.

The second thing is its easy to get the belt off one tooth on the cam sprocket. The line up marks line up with the edge of the head but its hard to see straight across with the motor in the car. Its very easy when getting the belt on the have it off a tooth. The car will run but it wont be correct.

also "dont ask me how i know" but if the timing belt happens to slip off while running,at idling, it wont damage the motor.

$150 sounds really good if the mechanics knows what he is doing? Its about a 2 hours job for a good experienced mechanic. I think the book goes about 3 hours but thats with replacing the water pump which is recommended.

I went 100k on my last belt just to see if i could. Most belts will last that long or longer now days. I think 60k was just conservitive number in the late 80's. You could talk to the dealership for some second advise. Most of the new cars list 100k timing belt changes.

Depending if your wanting to keep your car a long time or justs give a shit but i would change the oil pump while you have it apart. There 69$ and is bolted to the side of the block.


wp

[SteveDX89]

I went 100k on my last belt just to see if i could. Most belts will last that long or longer now days. I think 60k was just conservitive number in the late 80's. You could talk to the dealership for some second advise. Most of the new cars list 100k timing belt changes.

I know the 6th gen Civics have a 105K timing belt change schedule.

[Oldblueaccord]

OK WOW! didnt answer nappyroots827 question at all. Totally bad on my part!


Well $150 dollars to "set the timing" run away from that guy.

Set it by the book.

But if you dont have a timing light, the redneck...backyard mechanic way is to "set it by ear" meaning you advance it as far as you can without the car pinging while driving. It will be pretty close. Big thing is you dont want your car to be pinging alot thats when damage can occur internally.


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[nappyroots827]

well, i donno if this affects the process at all but i have a carb flywheels but lxi cam and distributor, but if not, i think ill just go with the redneck way of setting the ignition timing because so far my car is a big metal pile of afro engineering, but as far as the timing belt goes, im assuming how i did it was right, i had the engine right on top dead center and the cam gear as lined up as i could get it, but it seems like such a ghetto way of doing it for something that can affect the engine so much by being the tiniest bit off...i mean if you have an adjustable cam gear, adjusting it like 10 degrees is like one tooth, and ten degrees is a good bit and enough to cause your car to not run right

[accordlxi2.0]

i just listen and notice the exhuast smell when i adjust my timing.

[Oldblueaccord]

Yeah just exchange redneck with ghetto if it makes you feel better. :thumbup:


I gotta look up and see if the timing is differant carb to efi flywheels. The problem with our cars is there is a mark for TDC and a mark for the timing ,red i believe, so how people know if there at say 20 degress 30 degrees I haven't a clue.


I think one tooth is like 15 degress actually. Yeah i dont get why they make it so hard on our cars . Alotta the older hondas had marks on the valve cover at 12 o clock and a mark on the cam sproket made it really easy to line up and to adjust the valves too.

To make it harder our distributor is limited by the way its made so you cant adjust it very much. On domsetic cars like Chevy 350 you can spin it around anyway you want .


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[Moodybluesr]

The timing belt has almost nothing to do with your ignition timing.

I dont think that is correct. If your timing belt is off one tooth your ignition timing will be off. Might want to rethink that.

That is why I said "almost." :rolleyes: Assuming that the timing belt was done correctly it has nothing to do with setting ignition timing.

[nappyroots827]

alright, im confused about this distributor thing, other than listening for youself, what is this about the needle in the timing hole moving when u move the distributor...? what! lol

[Oldblueaccord]

Using a timing light you shine it down the sight hole and it will show you the mark on your flywheel. A timing light is nothing more than a stobe light that fires off the spark plug wire. Everytime it senses a pulse thru the plug wire it lights for a split second so you can see the mark when the car is running.

When you move the distrib you can see the mark move.

Counter -clockwise is advance BTW. The idle will go higher as its advanced lower as you retard it (clockwise)

Its really easy all cars time pretty much the same.

wp

[nappyroots827]

alright, well i think ill be good to go on the distributor timing, and i guess the timing belt is as good as its gonna get, cuz i mean, the only way to do it really is just eyeball it, so i guess thats it

[SavageG]

I have some related questions...
So if your timing is advanced and you retard it your rpms will drop?
Do you reset your idle using the regular idle adjustment screw?
When you look into the flywheel view hole there is a small peg on the right side, is this the timing mark for our car?

[Oldblueaccord]

I have some related questions...
So if your timing is advanced and you retard it your rpms will drop?
Do you reset your idle using the regular idle adjustment screw?
When you look into the flywheel view hole there is a small peg on the right side, is this the timing mark for our car?


Yes just a rule of thumb to help you figure out what way to turn the distributor

Yes you might need to reset your idle/mixture (carb) you do that last on a tune up

And yes ( I think that sounds correct) you line that up with a mark on the flywheel with a timing light. It strobes with the spark and frezzes the mark so you can see it while the car is running.


wp