I searched for about 3 hours last night. Okay i just got my car back from the lame ass shop that was doing the engine swap. They still couldn't get it to idle properly. The motor is smooth and sounds fine throughout the whole driving range, but when it gets back to idle it sounds like a damn muscle car. So far I'm not throwing any CELs. My car is a 97 Eclipse RS. I did notice a vacuum line with a screw in the end of it to plug it up and could not find the other side of the connector anywhere. It is the one exiting the intake manifold on the passanger side of the car. Can I check my timing by just removing the little window?
Please help and thatnks in advance

I just checked my cam timing anddddd It appears to be a tooth off. so am i due for a timing job?? I don't have alot of time on my hands or tools for that matter. How much would your guess be to would it cost to do it right? new tensioner, new water pump, new pullys and anything i have missed.

its like 500 bucks for the dealer to do a timing belt change.
like $150 if you do it yourself (prices vary from place to place, but you'll wanna get a new water and oil pump too)

how many miles has it been since you have done a timing job? just because its a tooth off, doesnt mean everything needs replaced.

but if you have never done it before; this should be your first maintenance move because if the timing belt breaks, you wont be very happy with the results.

First of all, you can't check timing just by comparing marks on the cam gears through that little access panel. You need to have both those marks lined up as well as the mark on the oil pump lined up behind the crank pulley.

This definitely sounds like a timing issue. If they say they installed a new timing belt on this engine prior to install, then the shop that did the install did not do the job right and you would have some grounds to get it redone by them. If this is some jYard motor that came with the tBelt installed already, then you should just suck it up and redo the timing yourself.

Think of it this way, a few basic tools, a case of beer, and a Saturday afternoon/evening, and you can say you did it too. The first time is always the hardest, but once you lose your cherry, you'll be good to go.

Good luck to you.

Yep, pop off your crank pulley (you'll have to lower the engine off its mounts so you're already 10% into the job at this point) and check the 3 timing marks, use a straitedge for the top gears, and use the center of the tooth on the crank sprocket as a guide, rather than just the arrow.

Taking it back to the mechanic or engine builder will just result in them telling you nothing's wrong with it.

If the timing is absolutely perfect, it could be your IAC motor, but it's most likely the timing.

Also, last I checked the dealer charges around $1300 for a timing belt change, not $500?

Originally posted by thedawg
Also, last I checked the dealer charges around $1300 for a timing belt change, not $500?

Woah, it's gone up from $700-900. LOL Satan, the price of a timing belt change will soon equal the value of the entire car