I am doing the waterpump and timing belt on my buddys 89 Raider V6. pump installed easy. Timing belt not so easy it seems...

I checked the marks and checked them and checked them again. After talking with Brendan online for a few minutes (and getting him thoroughly aggravated) I checked the position of the rotor and its not pointed directly at #1, and when I point it at #1 it seems to be 15 degrees before TDC or so says the plastic tab on the timing cover... What the F? I checked and checked and rechecked again and it keeps coming up the same! Am I just too stupid to do a damned timing belt job or was the distributer adjusted? I am pulling hair trying to figure this out. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> Any help would be greatly appreciated! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Do you have the distributor cap where the pins inside the cap do not line up with the wire towers on the outside of the cap - if that's how your trying to line up the rotor with #1.

Exactly^^^ unless you removed the distributer while doing this job there's no need to look at it anyways..line up the 3 marks on the sprockets and your good to go.

I lined up the marks and its a no go... I am really getting frustrated.

Post deleted by FrankR

First, make sure the engine is on TDC on the compression stroke - not the exhaust stroke. To do that, either remove the driver side cam sprocket cover and observe alignment on the marks.... or remove the spark plugs and rotate the engine until you can feel air coming out of the #1 spark plug hole.... then align the timing marks at the crankshaft pulley.

Now set the distributor so the rotor is oriented exactly as it appears in these photos:
View from front of engine

Overhead view from front of engine


Frank

It might be to late for StockRaider, and could be old hat for many, but this trick to swop timing belts could be useful to many.

If it is possible to slip a new belt onto all the pulleys from the front, this is how you do it, with no chance of getting the timing wrong:

Use a linoleum knife to split the old belt along its entire length, while still in place (on the pulleys).
You now have two half-width belts on the pulleys.

Cut off the front half (radiator side).

While leaving the old (half of the) belt in place, slip the new belt into place from the front, lining up printed timing marks, if any. Ensure that tension is same for old and new (tooth spacing between pulleys)

When the new belt is in place (on half of the pulley width), cut the remaining half of the old belt off. It might be necessary to manipulate the tensioner(s) a bit to fit the new pulley.

Slip new belt into new position.

No need to check the timing !

I followed your instructions, everything seems to be lined up PERFECTLY! but the rotor does not match up with your picture. When I line the rotor up with yours the plastic tab reads it is 15 BTDC. Is this a problem? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> if so how to I fix it?

If you followed those instructions (which were exquisitely complete, I might add <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />) then it sounds like the dizzy was screwed to begin with. Have you tried to reclock the dizzy?

What plastic tab? The one on the engine front beside the crankshaft pulley? If the engine is not running, the mark on the pulley should align with the "0" mark on the indicator.

Are you reading the 15* BTDC with the engine running? If so, that's exactly what the ignition timing should read with a warm engine at ~650 rpm idle. However, the corect way to set the ignition timing is to ground the pin inside the harness connector (located under/near the wiper motor) and set the base timing to 5* BTDC. Then shut off the engine, remove the ground lead, restart the engine and you should read 15* BTDC at the crankshaft timing indicator.

Please clarify exactly how you're going about getting the reading.

Also, when you installed the timing belt, did you align the dot on the crankshaft sprocket with the mark as well as align the marks on the cam sprockets? There are 3 marks that have to be in alignment.

Frank