Why is it important to ensure all timing marks line up?
Those marks have to line up with each other when the timing belt is installed and inspected after the timing belt tensioner has been adjusted. The two gears control the position of the camshafts. The timing belt, if properly installed, synchronizes the position of the camshafts with the position of the crankshaft.
What happens if ignition timing is off?
If ignition timing is too far advanced, it will cause the fuel-and-air mixture to ignite too early in the combustion cycle. This can cause the amount of heat generated by the combustion process to increase and lead to overheating of the engine.
What’s the best way to replace a timing belt?
With all the timing marks lined up, route the new belt around the largest diameters first, leaving the smallest pulley or sprocket for last. It’s tricky to slip the new, stiffer belt over that last one, but you’ll get it after a couple of different wiggling, jiggling attempts.
How do you line up the timing marks on a car?
A hydraulic tensioner takes care of this for you. Once the tension’s set, place a socket on the big nut holding the front pulley on and use it to turn the engine over — two complete crankshaft revolutions in the direction of normal rotation. Line up all the timing marks again.
Where to find the TDC mark on a timing belt?
(2b) The flywheel pulley TDC mark is accessible through a hole in the bellhousing. (2c) The camshaft TDC is easy to find — especially if you add white paint as we did. We cannot stress this enough: Be careful!
Where are the timing marks on the crankshaft?
For the crankshaft below, there probably will be a timing mark on the damper pulley that lines up with another mark on the lower cover. Or, the service manual may direct you to the transmission end of the engine to look through a hole in the bellhousing for a timing mark on the flywheel.