young geezer

so i was driving my civic around and all the sudden dies on me. i tried starting it but sounded week like not enough spark. i opened the distributor cap and try taking the rotor out. i cranked the motor to set the rotor correct so i can reach the screw but it never turned. the rotor doesnt turn at all. so what you guys think the problem is? thanks for looking.

Former User

The timing belt broke.

cleansi

i agree

z6hatchboy

x2, take the valve cover and tbelt cover off and check that belt out

young geezer

i just took the valve cover off and the timing belt look fine. or you guys think i have to take the timing cover out as well?

civic_driver

Try turning the crank while the cam cover is off and see if the timing belt moves the cams. It's possible that the dizzy broke or something.

young geezer

i just tried cranking without the valve cover and the cams didnt move at all. so i am guessing its the timing belt but the timing belt fells tight on the cams. what else could be the problem guys.

civic_driver

Well, if the cams don't move then the timing belt has snapped. Either it's binding up against something screwed around some parts or the cover is holding it down so it feels tight.

Just curious, did you hear any snapping sound when the car died?

young geezer

ok ill check it out more tomorrow and no i didnt hear any sound before the car died.

z6hatchboy

the belt can still be tight from binding up against something, but if the crank is turning and not the cams, its 99% likely to be a broke t-belt

Former User

Remove the crank pulley, install a new timing belt, and then compression test the cylinders. Good luck.

young geezer

if i bend a valve, will the compresion drop on that cylinder? how often do people bend their valve when they break the timing blet because once i broke the belt when coming to a stop it never strated up again and didnt move the cams at all.

94EG8

Yes.

Very often, it really doesn't matter how fast you were going, the cams wont move and obviously it wont start with a broken timing belt, the problem is that the cams stay stationary and the valves stay whever they were when the timing belt broke, the pistons however keep moving, so if a valve is down when piston comes up the piston hits the valve and bends it.

young geezer

when i took my valve cover off i notice that on my camgear with the one arrow pointing up and the other one pointing little bit more to the right. is that a sign that my valve is bend?

young geezer

ok guys i just changed the timing belt and notice it took out some teeth like you guys said. the timing was little off the on intake side (arrow on the camgear was pointing little bit to the right) so i fixed it and put the arrow pointing up and when i went to turn cam gear on the exhaust side, i wasnt able to spin it after a half a spin. so i spun it counter clock and lined it up with the intake side cam gear. after i finished i tried starding the car and it turned on for like 5 second and turned off. i tried one more time and same thing happen. so what you guys thing is the problem?