tcspeer Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 (edited) !997 Subaru 2.2. I changed the timing belt and water pump today, and run into a problem. I have changed the belt on this car around three times, but the motor that is in it now I have never changed the belt. My problem is when I line the marks, and I use the marks not the arrows, and put the belt on, the right cam is about one tooth off. The line on the belt is in line with the mark on the edge of pulley on both cams and crank, but the right cam pulley is one to many forward. If I take it off and redo it, it will still end up one mark off when I tighten everything up. The engine will start and run but the R.P.M.s are to high. is this a sympton of the cam pulley being off one tooth? Another thing I noticed is the timing mark on the crank spocket is not centered in the middle of the little tab that sticks up. It is way to the left of center, should I line that mark with the mark at top or should I center the tab that has the mark with the top mark. Edited July 4, 2011 by tcspeer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 "right cam" - means passengers side - is that what you mean? What year/model vehicle is the motor from? Subaru belt or aftermarket (what brand)? use the mark, not the tab itself. make sure the crank sprockets aren't installed in the reverse order? cam sprockets are on the proper side (not switched)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 (edited) Gary, 2.2 engine, I dont know what year I got it from the rebuilder from Co. I never took crank spocket off or cam pulleys. When I say right side that is looking at engine from front, so that would be drivers side. Subaru belt with lines is what I used. The left cam Pulley looking at engine from front is on the line with all marks straight. The crank spocket is in line with dotted lines on belt in line with marks. the right cam pulley has the line on belt in line with the mark on the pully, but the pulley mark and line on belt is just a little past the mark on the inner timing belt cover. When I started the engine it was running at a high idle, everthing else seemed fine. This morning I was going to take it apart and redo it. But when I started it it was idleing right. How could the lines on left cam pulley and crank spocket be straight and in line with marks, and on the right pulley the line is with mark on cam pulley, but be a little past the mark on timing belt cover? If the belt is one tooth off wouldnt it have to be one off on both cam pulleys and crank? instead of just being off on one pulley. If the belt was left on, and you could turn just the right pulley back one tooth with out the belt moving then the marks on the pulley would match the marks on timing cover but the mark on belt would be on forward. Edited July 4, 2011 by tcspeer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 always trust the cam and crank pulley timing marks over the timing belt marks. in a sense the timing belt marks are meaningless and are only an "aid". you can complete ignore them and install the belt with the marks down around the water pump/toothed idler - the marks don't matter. indeed after installation they are never "lined up again" except once every so many hundred/thousand revolutions by chance. they are helpful, but it's the actual mechanical timing of the engine that is pertinent. why it's off a tooth i have no idea. if it runs fine then it's obviously the correct belt. it should drive fairly poorly with a cam off one tooth. right and left are used as if sitting in the car, not facing it. right is passengers side and left is drivers side. sometimes passengers or drivers is easier to use...or ps or ds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 The high idle, that went away could that be a cause of belt being off just a little? I thought maybe the computer may have adjusted for it? I put a code reader on it and got no codes, it seems to run fine also. Gary, dont forget drivers or passingers side dont mean much on my car when posting about it, Its a right hand drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 if it's running 100% then it must be right. the ECU can't adjust for it being a tooth off and run 100%. Gary, dont forget drivers or passingers side dont mean much on my car when posting about it, Its a right hand drive.the point was to help you communicate, it really doesn't matter if you car is RHD or LHD, you know the point i was trying to make...i think, if not let me know. just trying to help. left and right is always determined as if sitting in the car, not facing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 I appreciate your help, and was just funning with you about the right side drive. When I take it to tire shop and tell them the tire on the left side is leaking they will sometimes say drivers side then I have to explain no its left side but passinger side. Anyway thanks for letting me know the correct way to call it is from sitting in car. I did not know that. I went back out and was going to redo it again only to notice after removing the timing belt covers on the end that both now line up right. Thanks for the help Gary and have a fun forth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 . . . after removing the timing belt covers on the end that both now line up right. Your tensioner probably pulled it into the right position when it took up the slack. Happy 4th all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-3-2-4 Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I too had this problem when I did the belt on my EJ22 but it was fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 Your tensioner probably pulled it into the right position when it took up the slack. Happy 4th all! Hi Olnick, you may be right because the side that was off was the side where the tensioner is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 this comes up every now and then. a good question to ask is, if you move the cam sprocket one tooth in either direction, will it be more correct or less correct?? if moving it will get it closer to the mark, then that is where it should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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