In middle of timming belt change.. Im stuck.. HELP!

[RobinDutch]

89 Ranger 2.3 liter DIS

The timing belt had broke so..

I can get the crankshaft to TDC marks

I can line up the camshaft sprocket to engine (timing belt back cover marks)

I will use the "string trick" or "strait edge" trick to put the auxiliary or oil pump sprocket on line with camshaft as i cannot see engine marks to line it up with.

MY PROBLEM IS HOW DO I KNOW ALL OF THIS IS NOW LINED UP BEFORE I PUT NEW TIMING BELT ON?

I have read somewhere that it can all be off by 180 degrees or ? 360 degrees?

Dont want to keep putting timing belt on and off till it all lines up after turning the crankshaft or? is that the only true way to do it?

I also read somewhere you can look down spark plug chamber into engine to see if ? something is at the top or not?

HELP?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Mark_88]

To test for the correct TDC (top dead center), since there are two, you can pull the #1 plug on the passenger side and put your thumb over the plug hole and crank the engine...easier to do if you have long arms so you may need help if not...

On the compression stroke, where you want to set TDC, you will feel pressure against your thumb...from the compression of course, and then you can check the marks on the crank to make sure it is pointing to the 0 point...then align the oil pump and cam marks if you have them.

There should be a little arrow on the cam and that should point to the 5 O'clock position where the little plastic timing markers usually are located.

From what I recall, either the oil pump or crank have the spout connector that actually sets the spark out signal for timing...and that would be clarified in a Haynes or Chilton manual as to how to properly set the timing.

 

[RobinDutch]

Dumb question which is the # 1 plug on drivers (exhaust) side is it the front to rad plug or the farthest to back of engine plug?

 

[Mark_88]

The number one plug is on the front of the engine...towards the rad...

 

[RobinDutch]

Thank you its starting to snow here and im working outside.

so even if i install the timing belt with all the marks lined up .... if #1 is not on the right compression stroke then when i maually turn the crank say 8 turns the the marks will not all line up telling me i did not have the proper tdc right?

that will tell me i did it wrong?

if so then i try again?


thanks

 

[Mark_88]

Well, set the TDC before everything else with the belt removed...then set the oil pump and then the cam...then loop the belt around the crank/pump and lastly the cam...

Just noticed you're in central canada...it's snowing here in Ontario too...if that's any consolation...and I have to go out and clean up #2 plug because it fouls due to a valve seal leak...making winter driving real interesting when you can't do over 80 km/hr

 

[adsm08]

Since you are aligning the cam and crank to each other (or timing them) it doesn't matter how far the crank moved without the cam. Set it so the line in the balancer lines up with the TDC mark on the outer timing cover, then set your cam so the triangles point at each other. Get the belt on and tensioned, it helps to set the cam mark about 1.5 teeth clockwise from the mark on the cover, then help pull the belt around by spinning the cam counter clockwise. After that you just spin the engine over two times to take the slack out, make sure the marks are close to each other, less than a tooth is good enough, and go.

Also, it's a circle, 360* out of time would be spot on. And since it's a non-interference engine the worst possible outcome of having it 180* out is that it won't run and you have to try again.

The 2.3 Lima is a much better engine to learn cam timing on than the interference Tritons that I learned on.

 

[RobinDutch]

the main problem before i found out the timing belt was broken was that there was no spark to exaust side (starting side) plugs... was i ever excited to see obious spark residue on the new #1 plug that i just pulled to be ablbe to put my thumb on plug chamber to check for pressure to confirm #1 cylinder for proper tdc.

up intill now i was not seeming to get a plark signall on any of those plugs so after installing new timing belt CORRECTLY? lol

I am praying that she will fire up. wow what a relief to see that will all the electrical IDM/ Coil ? CPK diagnostic checks new plugs etc. re checks and swap in out parts that somewhere in tat work or hopefully now i have a spark to #1 and rest of plugs and it was just timming all along?

cross my fingers.

 

[RobinDutch]

i did pull the old engine from this truck and replace it with the current one that's in here now.

that was about 9 years ago so alot of this technical info i have forgotten about on the 2.3l EFI

also sorry for the spelling errors in previous post

 

[Mark_88]

There is no spark on the driver side of the plugs on cranking...they only spark while the engine is running so if you test for spark while cranking...always test the driver side...

Hope it works out for you...

 

[RobinDutch]

when doing the "string or staight edge" trick to line up the center bolt from cam shaft to the center bolt of the auxilory or oil pump bolt does the arrow on the auxilary/oil pump line up at about 12 oclock (within the sting from center of both bolts or further down below center auxilary bolt on said straight line at say 5 o clock?

 

[Mark_88]

Did you get this running or still having problems? Never did the string test on mine because it has the marks and I always pointed the auxiliary (oil pump) gear with the triangle facing the crank timing mark...has worked every time for me...but mine is not FI so it's not as critical where those are...I can always move the dizzy to match the #1 plug on the cap...