i could be just blind but...
i went to check ign. timing today cause motor feels week on top end. it feels/sounds like it should be pulling harder then it does. however i can't find the timing mark on the lower timing belt cover. i don't have the upper cover, but helms says there is a point coming off the plastic (on lower cover)...the picture they show shows it, but i don't see it. motor is b18a1 90-91

 

Here you go man.

 

i did finally find it, stuck out like sore thumb after i did...anyway, when to check timing with the light and all, but i couldn't see any marks on the pulley at all. then i rotated the crank pulley around manually and finally found the marks...the timing isn't right and i assume thats my lack of power problem...its set to where i think its firing when the piston is on its way back down...its time for a timing belt change so ill reset everything when i put it on...maybe tomorrow...also changing cam seals.

thanks btw

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 93dxkid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">.its set to where i think its firing when the piston is on its way back down..</TD></TR></TABLE>

are you using a timing gun? are you using it right? A car should NOT even move if its firing when the piston is ALL the way down... it would be a whole lot more than just a lack of power...

 

yea, you show you have it on the right plug wire. If your timing was that much off you'd have more problems than a little lack of power, check your using the right plug wire first and than make sure if you have the good timing gun if your using one, that the advance setting is on 0... good luck

 

u sure u put the timing light on cylinder # 1 spark plug wire?
if u cant see any marks on the pulley, then u might need to clean that area where the lines are. then recheck the timing. u need to line up the red line with the mark on the timing belt cover

 

...timing light was hooked up to plug 1, when i flashed the light down at the arrow on the bottom belt cover and looked at the pulley...there was no mark, i rotated the pulley around and found the marks, they were not lining up with the mark on the belt cover though...i even adjusted the dizzy back and forth...still saw nothing

 

is the motor running when you do this? it will be a lot easier to see it with the motor running.

 

okay do this first, set the #1 cylinder to TDC (stick a long screwdriver into the spark plug hole if you have to, stop rotating the crank when the screwdriver gets all they way up as high as it will go), make sure the cam gear arrows are pointing up, the index marks are lining up w/ each other, and then check to see if the mark on the timing cover lines up with the white mark on the crank pulley. Okay that white mark is the TDC mark. To the left (towards the front of the car) on the crank pulley there are 3 red marks (circled in that pic above). These are the timing marks, the middle one being 16 deg. BTDC and the other two being 14 and 18. These are the marks you should see with the timing light, IF you're using a regular inductive timing light. They're a little harder to see than the white TDC mark, you might need to clean off that area of the crank pulley.

Now, if you're using an inductive timing light WITH advance function (it will have a dial on it listing degrees of advance), then you would set the dial to 16, and move the distributor until you see the WHITE TDC mark line up.

If you're using a regular timing light, you want to move the distributor until you see the middle of the 3 red marks line up w/ the pointer on the timing belt cover.

Oh and of course you need to have the diagnostic connector down near the ECU jumped w/ a jumper wire (same connector you use to check codes from the check engine light).

 

i looked at a couple of things today, here is what i saw...pulled dizzy cap off and then rotated the crank pulley around and found the timing marks. lined up the bottom cover mark with the TDC mark on the pulley. then i went back and looked at the dizzy and the metal peice inside looked like it would line up with the #1 spark plug wire. then i went and looked at the position of the up mark on cam gear, it was pointed at about 1 o'clock...

 

The UP arrows on the cam gears won't put straight up 12 o'clock at TDC, they'll just be in the general "up" direction (but both of them will be parallel)... the main thing is to make sure the small dots on the edges of the cam gears line up (right at the point in the middle where the 2 gears are closest to each other).

 

i'm wondering...does your timing gun have a dial? maybe you've got it set at the wrong advanced point on the gun? i don't think your car will even run if it's off by that much.

 

replaced timing belt...pulled crank pulley off and the key was missing to hold the pulley inline with the crank which explains why i couldn't see the marks when i went to check timing...everythings good now, i think the timing was off a little, 'feels' to have a little more power