another timing problem?

[88lxi-shortram]

ok well today i took my car to go get some gas and supplies for my bday bash :D and i parked the car afterwards. i check my oil regularly and popped my hood to check it and i caught a glimpse of my flexplate through that hole. the timing pointer is on the top of the three lines (the first line from the top) and my cam gear is almost straight up.... so how bad is it?

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/74/1000889t.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/137/1000889t.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

i will try to post pics later of the timing hole when the car cools down a bit

[DBMaster]

You're going to need to check it with a timing light. The slightest movement of the cam gear relates to a sometimes significant number of degrees on the flywheel pointer.

In other words, you may be just fine. Lining up the cam gear "UP" stamping is just a starting point I have used when changing the timing belt. Final adjustments have to be done with a timing light.

[88lxi-shortram]

i dont have one so wwaahhhhh :( i may get a price from a local shop to replace it for me lol. its too damn hot to be messing with the car before 6

[Oldblueaccord]

ok well today i took my car to go get some gas and supplies for my bday bash :D and i parked the car afterwards. i check my oil regularly and popped my hood to check it and i caught a glimpse of my flexplate through that hole. the timing pointer is on the top of the three lines (the first line from the top) and my cam gear is almost straight up.... so how bad is it?

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/74/1000889t.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/137/1000889t.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

i will try to post pics later of the timing hole when the car cools down a bit

It looks off a tooth to me needs to be CC but.....

Turn the motor by hand so you are sure your at TDC on the fly wheel before making any adjustments. You can move the motor slighly by hand with the acc belts since you sound like your close or break out the wrench.

I made a comment on here that the cam timing was hard to set and we need a tool to hold the cam gear while putting the belt on. It was shot down as "not needed". Since then there a post a month like this about the cam timing be off. I guess I need to revisit this idea.


EDIT: R+D link http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1094374#post1094374


wp

[DBMaster]

I guess I never thought about the cost of a timing light. I've had mine since about 1980. I used to use it on my old Pontiac. They're still cheap, though. To me, it's a must-have if you own a car that has a distributor.

[Oldblueaccord]

ok well today i took my car to go get some gas and supplies for my bday bash :D and i parked the car afterwards. i check my oil regularly and popped my hood to check it and i caught a glimpse of my flexplate through that hole. the timing pointer is on the top of the three lines (the first line from the top) and my cam gear is almost straight up.... so how bad is it?

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/74/1000889t.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/137/1000889t.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

i will try to post pics later of the timing hole when the car cools down a bit

I'm chuckling at your ground wire. :lol:


wp

[ecogabriel]

It looks like the belt was not as straight on the side facing the engine front when installed. The belt has to be tight (straight) on the side facing the front of the car when installing it. In other words, there must be NO SLACK on that side. The belt tensioner will take care of any slack on the side facing the cabin.

You should install belt tensioner and tighten it BEFORE turning the engine by hand to check whether the belt is properly positioned. If the cam timing has been disturbed, loosen the tensioner and repeat procedure. I have double and triple-checked before continuing assembly of remaining components.

Removing all the spark plugs helps; it allows turning the engine by hand using the crank (accessories) pulley. Remove them only with engine DEAD COLD though, and get anti-seize compound to apply to the spark plug threads when re-installing. Notice how they go into the engine -they go slightly angled- so you will not force them in their way in.

If you do not live that far away from my zip code, I may meet you and tell you how to get it done.

[88lxi-shortram]

ive never done timing on this car or any other that has a dizzy other than my friends eg w/ an ls/v but thats a long ghetto story. that being said ive never needed to buy one. also ive tried messing with the tensioner with cars at the local pull a part but not only was it very hard to manuver. but ive never been able to find out exactly how to loosen the tensioner... and im too scared to mess with my car and not be able to finish. and ecogabriel my zip is 30044 but my car doesnt have a tag or insurance so i try not to drive far...

[turabaka]

You're going to need to check it with a timing light. The slightest movement of the cam gear relates to a sometimes significant number of degrees on the flywheel pointer.

In other words, you may be just fine. Lining up the cam gear "UP" stamping is just a starting point I have used when changing the timing belt. Final adjustments have to be done with a timing light.

cam timing and ignition timing are not the same thing. If the belt is off by a tooth, then even if you set the ignition timing correctly with a timing light the cam will still be off by a tooth. Changing the distributor does not affect how the cam sits at all.

[ecogabriel]

ive never done timing on this car or any other that has a dizzy other than my friends eg w/ an ls/v but thats a long ghetto story. that being said ive never needed to buy one. also ive tried messing with the tensioner with cars at the local pull a part but not only was it very hard to manuver. but ive never been able to find out exactly how to loosen the tensioner... and im too scared to mess with my car and not be able to finish. and ecogabriel my zip is 30044 but my car doesnt have a tag or insurance so i try not to drive far...

loosen the bolt that holds it; it should go back and forth on the pressure from the spring. But the key is keeping the belt straight on the front side of the belt. Once you got it right there, the rest goes easier. Do you have the lower dust cover installed? because otherwise you may not need to remove the crank pulley for the re-adjustment.

[2oodoor]

the tensioner bolt protrudes thru the lower cover and is accessable with everything put together.
In other words if you have installed the belt one tooth off etc. you can correct it fairly easliy without taking anything apart other than the top cover and removing the spark plugs to make the engine easy to turn by hand.