Stuck on a timing belt replacement - need help

[amcink]

i'd like to know how you got that to line up with up touching anything as the pic of the crank shows the mark on the bottom side, and the timing belt isnt on it. The only way to safely do this w/o damage would be remove the cam which is nearly impossible in the car (unless u jack up the motor itself and still a pita pushing it out) or pull the head off..

Were you addressing me?

If you were this is what i did to aligned the camshaft and crankshaft

A) I put back the belt on and turn the crankshaft until i was able to align the camshaft.

B) then took the belt of and turn the crankshaft in order to align it.

C) then i install the belt and tensioner and made sure they align if they did not then start wit A.

D) finally after installing everything do a test and do at least 2 turns so once they all come around the camshaft and crankshaft should align.

that is it

thanks

[vert_this]

i'd like to know how you got that to line up with up touching anything as the pic of the crank shows the mark on the bottom side, and the timing belt isnt on it. The only way to safely do this w/o damage would be remove the cam which is nearly impossible in the car (unless u jack up the motor itself and still a pita pushing it out) or pull the head off..

[OnMy2ndE30]

I have an early style 87 and it has a cast cam sprocket. The production break is 9/87 I believe. The early model has the extra outlet on the waterpump that goes to the expansion tank on the passenger side like on the ETAs. The late model has a single outlet waterpump and has a metal crossover tube that goes behind the pulleys to the expansion tank on the passenger side.

[Click]

I doubt you have an early sprocket. My coupe has a 8/88 production date and had the later style sprockets. Even though verts had styling changes later they pulled engines off the same assembly line as every other coupe/sedan etc.

[BergerNJ]

so how can one tell if he has the early or late model m20 in his vert?

I would imagine since I have a 90 but it was built in late 89 that its a late model correct? even though the verts switched to late model styling later on?

Im getting ready to do a head, head gasket, and various other components...starting to see this pop up, might as well change the sprockets as well if I have earlies...

[Click]

Yeah, intermediate can go bad too

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=234035

[paperplane94]

^Is that the sprocket!?

[Click]

Also you have the old style stamped steel timing sprocket which is known to explode occasionally. I would change to a solid metal one while you're in there.

[amcink]

got it all figure out; thansk everyone

[OnMy2ndE30]

So i read in other threads that if you have not taken the spark plugs out, therefore the camshaft and crankchaft cannot move (and they have not moved) therefore no need to align both to TDC, and belt already out then just replace the belt as it came out and you should be ok. How true is this scenario?

As long as you rotate the engine by hand after replacement and verify that nothing is hitting, you may be ok. I just don't trust not having any marks to go by. The timing can be a tooth off and not hurt the motor, but it will suffer performance wise. ALWAYS a good idea to verify timing marks before and after......

[amcink]

So i read in other threads that if you have not taken the spark plugs out, therefore the camshaft and crankchaft cannot move (and they have not moved) therefore no need to align both to TDC, and belt already out then just replace the belt as it came out and you should be ok. How true is this scenario?

[E30-325iS]

It's on the cam gear. There is either an arrow on the inner section of the gear or a line below one of the teeth that will line up with the line on the head. If you have a bentley manual it has pictures of each, there is a PDF of the manual in the DIY section i believe.

This sounds right, but you should replace the camshaft sprocket with a cast one as ones like yours have been known to disintegrate. They also have a better mark for TDC. There's a thread somewhere with pictures of what can happen.

[seatown88]

I have never see a cam gear like yours and therefore have no experience finding TDC for it, however for the crankshaft you can see a small line on the section where the vibration dampener bolts to(on the last photo you attached) which when lined up with the small notch(can be seen in the 3rd picture you attached) means that the crankshaft is at TDC.

Hope that helps

[paperplane94]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XCMSF2wQLE

[KEVORM]

It's on the cam gear. There is either an arrow on the inner section of the gear or a line below one of the teeth that will line up with the line on the head. If you have a bentley manual it has pictures of each, there is a PDF of the manual in the DIY section i believe.