Timing Question

[ankieffer]

I hope this post finds you all well. I am currently replacing my head gasket on my 2.5l and with that I’m taking off the timing belt. It looks like the timing is off in the belt when referenced from the harmonic balancer. However, my m20 has the same timing marks as a 2.7l on the crank. So when viewed at the crank the cam it’s timed correctly. However when the harmonic balancer is on it’s not. When I did the timing belt a couple of years ago I lined up the crank not the balancer and everything with the car was the same before and after. With that I have a couple of questions…

1. Is my timing completely jacked up and I just got lucky?

2. Is there a chance I was sold a stroker car and I actually have a 2.7 crank with a 2.5 balancer?

3. If the timing is off. Am I going to hurt anything by removing the belt in its current condition?

Please see the attached photos any help would be greatly appreciated! And before any of you say it. Yes I know it’s not timed perfectly at the crank. If I had moved it that extra 1mm it would be. Just take the pictures for reference right now. 😘

- Alex

[82eye]

my engine went together with both marks lined up. i'll have to check the crank pulley / trigger wheel, seem to recall it being kinda off a little as well.
what year is your car ? do you have a stamped intermediate shaft gear ? it might be just the angle of the pic. if you do they can be a weak point. the updated gear is sintered like the cam gear.

[ankieffer]

I have an 87 325is. It doesn’t look like I have another stamped gear. I just find it weird that I have timing marks on the crankshaft itself that align with the cam just fine but the harmonic balancer doesn’t line up at all 😵💫

[digger]

None of the photos show any marks in alignment so can’t tell if timing is off. It doesn’t matter though as just do it correct when you put head on.

With the head off you will know the pistons and can measure stroke to see what the parts are.

the cam gear and vibration damper should both align at the same time within the accuracy by eye considering parallax error.

the intermediate gear needs to be replaced