Mike Kopstain
New Member
Alright, here we go again. 
Still can't get this car into time boys. Let me explain exactly what the car is and what it has and we can go from there. This is a 3.2 MTX conversion. 3.2 heads, 3.0 cams. Manual tensioner.
I have checked the locater pins on the cam sprockets. They are on correctly. I am sure this has to be something I am doing wrong, so I will tell you how and what I am doing when changing the timing belt.
I line up the dot on both intake cam sprockets to the 12 o' clock position, along with the notches on the inner timing belt cover. Second, I line the dot on the cam sprocket up with the mark on the oil pump housing at roughly the 5 o' clock position. Third, I put the belt on, text facing away from me, with both cam marks at the appropriate spaces on the cams. The 3.0 mark on the timing belt lining up with the dot on the crank sprocket. From there, tighten up the tensioner, and put everything back on.
Sometimes we would tighten the tensioner immediately, sometimes we would run the belt around a couple times without tension and then put tension on it. To be honest, I've never run the belt around a couple times. I've always just put tension on it and gone, but this was something that someone else suggested.
Now we can't get this car to start and I am growing more and more impatient, with myself. I feel like something this simple shouldn't be something holding me back. So here are a bunch of questions:
1. Does anyone have a documented write-up on how to change the timing belt? SHOtimes gives a writeup on taking it off, but not putting it back on. My helms book says something about a white dot on the crank damper (we don't have a white dot on this damper) and lining that dot up with the 0 degree mark on the lower timing belt cover. Some places I read to run the belt around with no tension, some places I read to tension it right away, but none of the places mention this mysterious white mark on the damper.
2. This is just for my curiousity. The tensioner (automatic/ manual) is the deciding factor on what mark you line up with on the belt, correct?
3. Exactly how much tension should be on the belt. I know that seems like a stupid, question, but again, we are looking at everything
4. We have fuel, we have spark. With no other changes, we had this car running, albeit out of time. So the timing is definetly the issue.
That's it guys. ANYTHING is helpful, even if you are telling me to take it to a real mechanic.
<small>[ February 28, 2003, 12:53 PM: Message edited by: Mikeys_Taurus ]</small>
Still can't get this car into time boys. Let me explain exactly what the car is and what it has and we can go from there. This is a 3.2 MTX conversion. 3.2 heads, 3.0 cams. Manual tensioner.
I have checked the locater pins on the cam sprockets. They are on correctly. I am sure this has to be something I am doing wrong, so I will tell you how and what I am doing when changing the timing belt.
I line up the dot on both intake cam sprockets to the 12 o' clock position, along with the notches on the inner timing belt cover. Second, I line the dot on the cam sprocket up with the mark on the oil pump housing at roughly the 5 o' clock position. Third, I put the belt on, text facing away from me, with both cam marks at the appropriate spaces on the cams. The 3.0 mark on the timing belt lining up with the dot on the crank sprocket. From there, tighten up the tensioner, and put everything back on.
Sometimes we would tighten the tensioner immediately, sometimes we would run the belt around a couple times without tension and then put tension on it. To be honest, I've never run the belt around a couple times. I've always just put tension on it and gone, but this was something that someone else suggested.
Now we can't get this car to start and I am growing more and more impatient, with myself. I feel like something this simple shouldn't be something holding me back. So here are a bunch of questions:
1. Does anyone have a documented write-up on how to change the timing belt? SHOtimes gives a writeup on taking it off, but not putting it back on. My helms book says something about a white dot on the crank damper (we don't have a white dot on this damper) and lining that dot up with the 0 degree mark on the lower timing belt cover. Some places I read to run the belt around with no tension, some places I read to tension it right away, but none of the places mention this mysterious white mark on the damper.
2. This is just for my curiousity. The tensioner (automatic/ manual) is the deciding factor on what mark you line up with on the belt, correct?
3. Exactly how much tension should be on the belt. I know that seems like a stupid, question, but again, we are looking at everything
4. We have fuel, we have spark. With no other changes, we had this car running, albeit out of time. So the timing is definetly the issue.
That's it guys. ANYTHING is helpful, even if you are telling me to take it to a real mechanic.
<small>[ February 28, 2003, 12:53 PM: Message edited by: Mikeys_Taurus ]</small>
