CMohan Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Hi everyone...today, I attempted to reseal my oil pump which requried me to take out the timing belt etc. Huge hassle....well when I was finally done with the job, I put everything back together and attempted to start the car and the engine won't turn over...it will start to rev when I turn the key but it will not catch.... I'm not sure what the problem is, whether I messed up the timing or what...if anyone could please give me an idea on where to look/what to fix/how to fix it...I would greatly appreciate it...I'm at my wits end with this whole thing....Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midwst Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 A car needs four things to start: fuel, fire, compression and computer. So yes, it sounds like the timing might be off. Did you make sure your timing marks were aligned? Did you turn the motor at all with the timing belt off? Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brumby Boy Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Stat with the basics. Check your timing then if you have fuel and spark. Just my $0.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMohan Posted June 8, 2005 Author Share Posted June 8, 2005 A car needs four things to start: fuel, fire, compression and computer. So yes, it sounds like the timing might be off. Did you make sure your timing marks were aligned? Did you turn the motor at all with the timing belt off? Good luck. I marked the pully's/belts for alignment, however, the right side pully's were moved somehow...i must have bumped them or something...and when I tried to readjust...they won't move back into place all the way... This must be the problem then....Do I need to re-remove the time belt to fix this or can I just turn the cranksproket until everything is lines back up? Thanks for any help I get, I wanna try and fix this mess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midwst Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 First things first: You will have to remove the timing cover again. With a wrench or socket, turn the engine at the crankshaft by hand. Turn it until the marks line up. Then turn it again until the marks line up again to double check. Do they line up?The marks can be a tiny bit off, I allow about 1/8", some people allow up to 1/4" on the camshaft sprokets. The crankshaft needs to be right on center. If they don't line up, you MUST remove the timing belt and realign everything. When the job is done: If you do take the belt off again, after you put everything back together, turn the engine several times by hand to make sure it is okay. Then put the cover back on. The camshafts turn at twice the speed of the crank shaft. If you turned the camshaft sprokets around one turn after removing the timing belt, there is a possibility that you are 180' off. In other words, the #1 piston may be at BDC (bottom dead center) instead of TDC (top dead center). To check this, disconnect the battery and remove the timing belt cover. Turn the engine at the crankshaft (with a wrench or socket) with the belt on. Turn untill it looks like all the marks are aligned. Then remove the #1 spark plug. Insert your pinkie finger or a short extension. You should be able to touch the top of the piston. I don't know if the subaru has interfacing valves, so I give this next advice with a word of caution. If you cannot touch the top of the piston, the timing belt will have to be removed, the camshafts turned one turn, then line up all the marks again and reinstall the belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midwst Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 One more word of caution: If the camshafts are off by 1" or less, it is much better to roll the camshaft sproket backwards a tiny bit, than rotate it all the way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 If it ran fine before you removed the timing belt, then I'm 99% sure you put the belt back on wrong. Don't feel bad, the most experienced of us have done it. Make sure you're using the right marks on the crank sprocket. There is a little arrow-looking mark on the front of the sprocket which you must ignore completely. That is not the one you use to install the belt. You use the mark on the little tooth sticking out on the back of the sprocket (the tooth is for the crank angle sensor). I know, I've done this before and put the whole thing back together and it wouldn't start. Then after I woke up and realized how stupid I was, I ripped it back apart and did it right. Also, don't worry about being 180º off. Just line up the marks on the camshafts and the crankshaft and it will be timed correctly. And use the marks on the timing belt and line them up with the ones on the sprockets. You can rest assured that it's timed properly when you have those marks lined up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midwst Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Yeah, I guess the 180' off thing may not matter on a flat four. Thanks for the correction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBigJ Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 I did this mess myself a few weeks ago. I had the same problem. I checked and double checked the timing belt install and everything lined up fine. My problem was the crank position sensor. This is a little metal can installed in the top of the oil pump housing with some wires coming off it. It MUST be installed for the engine to start. If you are getting no spark (I wasn't) this could be your problem. If you are super anal like me I doubt you got the timing belt off, but it's worth checking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMohan Posted June 8, 2005 Author Share Posted June 8, 2005 I did this mess myself a few weeks ago. I had the same problem. I checked and double checked the timing belt install and everything lined up fine. My problem was the crank position sensor. This is a little metal can installed in the top of the oil pump housing with some wires coming off it. It MUST be installed for the engine to start. If you are getting no spark (I wasn't) this could be your problem. If you are super anal like me I doubt you got the timing belt off, but it's worth checking. Thanks to all of you who gave me some great advice on how to proceed with all of this...it's time for me and the car to face off again....hopefully this time I will come out on top. You have all been wonderful with providing me with great advice and wisdom and I only hope that I can repay the favor at some later date. Have a great night all, and hopefully I won't need anymore advice on this wonderful process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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