Please help- Losing my F'ing mind, my patience, and my money.

[LJ851]

How do I access the crankshaft marks?

The Bentley manual explains it well. If you dont have one, borrow or better yet buy your bad self one. Its the perfect valentines day gift!

[lolcantturn]

The Bentley manual explains it well. If you dont have one, borrow or better yet buy your bad self one. Its the perfect valentines day gift!

Oh wow, it's called the "Camshaft Drive Belt," I kept searching the manual under "Timing belt!" That's why I couldn't find it, haha.

Though, I'm not excited I have to remove virtually everything to check a timing mark

I'll update you guys tomorrow, as I've wasted a Saturday night complaining about my shitty car :rofl:

[LJ851]

I was going to say something smart ass but you kind of already called yourself out. If the assumed problem is what you have done, you are going to get whiplash when you get it right!

[lolcantturn]

I was going to say something smart ass but you kind of already called yourself out. If the assumed problem is what you have done, you are going to get whiplash when you get it right!

Oh yeah, don't worry, I kind of cringe posting some of this stuff because I sound so noobish and clueless.
Hopefully by tomorrow morning I'll have the timing all sorted out...Or else I have to pull the head out AGAIN..:(

[TimR]

Any chance you got some bad gas or water in the tank ??? guy last week had all kinds of trouble after a few rainy days, added Sty Dri ??? for water in the gas,

[DaveSmed]

Hey, everyone has to start somewhere. Don't sweat it too much.

I was thinking, when you did the valves, you didn't reef down the adjustment too tight to quiet the engine, did you? A happy M20 is a ticking M20.

[lolcantturn]

Oh yeah, my M20 ticks happily, sounds like it's clapping at me.

Check this out guys.


That's with the camshaft gear aligned perfectly. Guess I found my problem eh? Looks like it skipped a tooth. At least it better be haha.

[MTechnikII]

did your engine sounded like a diesel? when I changed my TBelt I misaligned it by one tooth and the engine startet right up and sounded horrible, I had to realign the belt ,
also I have a friend he had the same problem of rotor rubbing against the cap, we found out that the engine bracket was missing behind the distrubator cap and it would let the cap go further in, check see if the bracket is there its between the dist cap and cylinder head.
good luck
Henry

[lolcantturn]

did your engine sounded like a diesel? when I changed my TBelt I misaligned it by one tooth and the engine startet right up and sounded horrible, I had to realign the belt ,
also I have a friend he had the same problem of rotor rubbing against the cap, we found out that the engine bracket was missing behind the distrubator cap and it would let the cap go further in, check see if the bracket is there its between the dist cap and cylinder head.
good luck
Henry

Let me say I'm happy that you used your first post in 4 years in this thread haha :D

And yep, sounded like a straight up diesel.
How'd you reallign it? You just loosened the belt from its tensioner and spun the camshaft gear over right?
And yes I think that's the problem with my distributor, thanks!

[M-technik-3]

The under manifold ignition loop tend to corode check that harness.

[DaveSmed]

That doesn't just happen....

Put in an order for a new timing belt + tensioner, and a waterpump if funds allow and start taking stuff apart. Look the cam and countershaft gears over extra well, and if they are stamped steel get new cast ones.

It looks like your cam is advanced, correct? That scenario is the most likely to cause damage, starting with the exhaust valves. I would definitely go rent a leak down tester too, just to be absolutely sure.

[lolcantturn]

That doesn't just happen....

Put in an order for a new timing belt + tensioner, and a waterpump if funds allow and start taking stuff apart. Look the cam and countershaft gears over extra well, and if they are stamped steel get new cast ones.

It looks like your cam is advanced, correct? That scenario is the most likely to cause damage, starting with the exhaust valves. I would definitely go rent a leak down tester too, just to be absolutely sure.

Hmmm.
My waterpump is new.
When I loosened the tensioner bracket bolt it actually seemed too easy to loosen.
Timing belt is new

My cam advanced yes. How much damage could we be talking about? It's only 1 tooth :(
Where can I rent a leak down tester? My town doesn't exactly have the most automobile friendly stores.

In other news, when I tried to move the camshaft gear to advance it forward a tooth, my camshaft gear bolt stripped. Suckage! It isn't exactly easy to find a 10mm bolt like that.

Thanks for all the help, really appreciate it. I'm kind of less worried now that I know what's gone wrong.

[MTechnikII]

haven't been on this site often, but if I see something that I have had experience with I'd share it with you guys.
aligning the timing gears is not difficult, there is one marking on the cranckshaft gear and one marking on the cam shaft, both HAVE to line up with their makings,( on my car it was off by one tooth and no damages were caused by that)
one important tip in replacing the timing belt
when placing the new belt , the section of belt that's towards the driver side has to be completly stretched, hold the bottom of the belt with your hand on the cranckshaft gear( somehow make the belt stay on the crankshaftgear teeth and don't let it slip) and pull the belt around the roller till the teeth get engaged onto the cam shaft gear,
the stretch of belt between cam gear and cranckshaft has to be tight with no slack , the tenssioner puts tenssion on one side of the belt ONLY.( if you have slack on the other side as the tensioner puts tenssion on the belt on one side the timing between the camgear and crackshaft gear will change( missalighned)
I actually think the camshaft gets retarded instead of getting advanced if the belt jumps a tooth.
just get a new belt if the waterpump and the tenssioner are new.
again Good luck
Henry

[LJ851]

Did you fix it, brah?

[lolcantturn]

Decided to take the head off. The timing belt skipped over 2 teeth and I'm getting hidious compression in cylinder 3. Bent valve is likely.