Ok, In the process of getting the head back on, these damn timing marks are not lining up pefectly. The head has been resurfaced twice now, but how much has been taken off, I don't know. I had around 4 thousandths this time, but last time, i have no clue, so it could be around 10 thousandths total...If the cam marks are lined up, the best i can do is around half tooth ATDC on the crank gear mark..car idled rough, and vac was a little low..Anyone know how much that is taken off the head, that it messes up cam timing? Even to me, 10 thousandths doesn't seem like enough to mess it up, but who knows...I've done way too many timing belt installs and never had a problem before..i dont get it..

At what point do they missalign? Mine wouldnt align when i tourqued on the tensioner pulley.

Well, i guess when the tension is on the belt. I can have the crank at TDC, and the cam marks lined up TDC, wrap the belt from the crank, idler, water pump, up to the exhaust cam, and the belt is loose..it should not be easy for you to get the belt on with all the marks lined up..but i can slip it on pretty easily...I can't go a tooth in either direction, or it would be really off..best i can do is around half tooth off according to the crank gear. If i then put the crank at TDC, the cam marks are not even a full tooth off, which tells me its not how i'm putting it on..maybe i can get a pic of it..

I had the same fuckin problem it pissed me off so bad I tried like 25 times and every time it would come off a half a tooth. Try Cliping the cam gears together at tdc. Are you keeping the crank at 1/2 tooth before tdc before you put the belt on? and are you putting the tensioner pulley at 20ft/lbs?

Originally posted by eclipse_99rs
I had the same fuckin problem it pissed me off so bad I tried like 25 times and every time it would come off a half a tooth. Try Cliping the cam gears together at tdc. Are you keeping the crank at 1/2 tooth before tdc before you put the belt on? and are you putting the tensioner pulley at 20ft/lbs?

Yeah i've tried all ways I could think of..this is like the 10th timing belt i have done, and have never,ever had a problem before..When the crank is at TDC, it looks like BOTH cam marks are retarded about half a tooth. This makes sense, since when you take off material from the head, it retards the cam timing. I just didn't think that maybe 10 thousandths would be enough to do that..who knows..The idle is pretty choppy, but off idle, it seems to rev and run just fine..just idles a bit rough, and pulls like 1.5 HG's less on the gauge..I think i'm going to have to get some adjustable cam gears to fix this issue...its not like i'm already flat broke :( I just hope i have enough cash for the shootout

dude ill make sure you make it to the shootout. order up those gears and ill help you out, just let me know!

nothing like fabbing up your own adjustable cam gears haha.

and all will be well in dsmville.