So here's the deal. It's a 90 Civic LX Auto 1.5l and the water pump went out on me with around 220K miles so I figured I would do the timing belt and pump all together. I had never done one before but always wanted to. So I had no problems taking everything off and lined up the crank to TDC and the CAM to TDC before removing the belt as well. But when putting on the new belt I could not get the marks to line up perfectly like it was before. I was always about 1/2 tooth off when looking at the CAM gear. But if I pulled the belt and rotated the cam, I would just be another 1/2 off just in the oppostite direction. So after much unluck, I decided to put it all back together hoping the tensioner and everything would take up the slack and get it right on. Well it didnt, ugh. But the car started right up and actually runs. I set the idle and checked the timing and it is about and inch off from the timing marks (3lines) , retarded. The distributor is as advanced as it can go.

So this brings me to my main question. I was thinking that if I rotated the CRANK gear instead of the CAM gear, wouldn't that cause the CAM gear to only rotate 1/2 tooth since it turns 2:1 as the CAM gear? I see no other way to get this thing right on? Also if this is the case, is there a way to move the belt off the CRANK gear a tooth without taking off all the crap again? Ugh...

Hope someone knows, thanks guys!

Deej

 

theres no way to be off 1/2 tooth. your 1 tooth off. just move the cam gear 1 tooth to the left? and itll be fixed

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 91civicLX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">theres no way to be off 1/2 tooth. your 1 tooth off. just move the cam gear 1 tooth to the left? and itll be fixed</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Thanks for the replies...I was also gonna post earlier that I was confused about the timing mark on the CAM...I had no problem lining up the CRANK because I verified the mark by doing the screwdriver in the #1 piston hole test, to find when it got to TDC. Then verified that with the CRANK mark. But when it was time to set the CAM I realized that in the manual it said that all 1.5L engines have only two marks at say 9 and 3 oclock with "UP" at 12oclock. But on MINE I have that 3rd mark around 7oclock or so and also that pointer index on the plastic cover. So I was confused on which one to go by???? I think this is where the problem lies. Should I not have this 3rd mark at 7oclock. Could someone have installed the wrong cam gear on this cam?

 

all 1.6 and 1.5 liter engines have the same cam gear, the one cam gear will have markings for timing a 1.5 and a 1.6 on the same gear.

SAME PART NUMBER FOR 1.5 AND 1.6l engines.

 

Ok, some guy on another board said that I might have put the timing belt on backwards? Do they have directional indications on them, like arrows? I dont remember seeing any or ever hearing about that?