so i bought a new distributor today. and before i bolted it on, i wanted to make sure that everything was still in time.
well everything wasnt. it looked to be a tooth off, and i think that would explain my low idle and stumble the other day.

anyways i timed the bottom end, and i timed the top end, but whenever i go to tension the belt, nothing happens.

the last time i put everything on, which was 15 mins ago, i got both sides of the timing belt tightened, but the top was loose and i didnt want to just leave it at that.

anything for a quick fix to at least get the car running?

 

Ok, so you lined everything up at TDC (both crank at white line and cams), you have the belt on. Before you go to tighten up the tensioner did you rotate the crank (counterclockwise) 3 teeth to put the proper tension on the belt? Sounds like you just tightened it without tensioning it therefore making it so its too loose like its not even tensioned.

 

how can i rotate the crank when there isnt enough tension on the cam gears and it keeps slipping?

thats my problem

 

Sounds like either you have the wrong belt or your tensioner isn't moving to pull out the slack. Is the tensioner pulley bolt loose and can you move the tensioner back and forth with your hands?

 

im using a b16 gates timing belt. and whenever i just put the belt on, you can pull up on the belt on the intake side and feel the tensioner give way and it allows you to pull the belt over the gears.
i think what i might do, is actually ziptie the belt onto the cam gears that way i can focus more on the sides

 

just attempted to do the timing once more.
i used a zip tie on the cam gears to keep em from rotating, but its SUPER hard to keep the crank pulley from spinning while tryin to force on the belt

 

Oh, I think I see what you're talking about now. Yeah for DOHC's you pretty much need three hands.

 

Most definately lol. Now from where I have read the two inner lines need to be completly straight and the "up" arrows of course pointing up. Sometimes I can get everything sooo close and it is like half a tooth from the belt sliding and and fitting right. But tomorrow I am going to use the same method I ddid before and have someone hole the crank still lol

 

Yeah it takes me like 2 hours to do it myself. 15 minutes with a friend. lol

 

i got the exhaust side tight. just need to figure out the whole tensioner thing.
i think its shot, but if i can get if pushed up somehow i can get everything working and at least get the car running and driveable

 

Instead of zipties on my DOHC zc I took off my valve cover and inserted to drill bits into the top of each cam cover (with cams at TDC) to keep both cams at TDC. Works better than zipties to keep them there.

 

thats ghetto....
anywho i got the timing correct. buddy of mine helped me out. and the tensioner is actually good.

 

What do you mean ghetto? Zipties are teh ghetto way, your supposed to put drill bits down the cam caps it actually keeps them in time.

 

hmmm...piece of plastic that can be removed VS holes in your cam caps with a drill bit.....yeah....im gonna go with a ziptie...

 

Regardless, I do mine by myself with no "silly" methods or "tricks". You guys need to learn how to clock things... and get some "man hands". Also, OP - I hope you understand that the engine rotates Counter Clockwise...

 

My hands are so manly that Chuck Norris is jealous.

 

You stole those words right out of my "personal sayings" book...

 

Dude you miss understood me. I use drill bits to put in the cam cap (which already has a hole that lines up perfectly with the hole in your cam at TDC), I'm not using the drill bits to drill into my cam cap or my cam. lol so yea when im done I take out the drill bits.

 

my apologies lol

timing is definatly better. my tensioner was good, and i took the hatch for its first test drive in over a year!!