Does anyone have a link to a step-by-step guide for installing the timing belts from ground zero? It's VERY possible the distributor as been pulled out and installed incorrectly, the plug wires might be off a tower or two, and the guy I bought it from installed new timing belts but never got it to run again (probably incorrectly, eh!?!) Well, it was cheap anyway!

 

I am totally confused (nothing new there) by the Haynes Manual saying when the center of the 3 marks on the flywheel is lined up, the rotor should be pointing at plug wire #1. Umm, shouldn't the rotor be pointed at plug wire #1 when the 'ignition timing mark of 0 degrees @ tdc' is lined up with pointer on the bell housing, not the valve timing mark?

 

Confusion reigns king currently. '86 GL 4x4 automatic

1. Line up flywheel at center line of the 3 valve timing marks.

 

2. Drivers side cam mark straight up.

 

3. Passenger side cam mark straight down.

 

4. Install both belts.

 

5. Line up flywheel at desired timing (8 degrees for carbs, 20 degrees for SPFI, etc).

 

6. Install distributor with rotor pointing at whichever plug tower you wish to be #1.

 

7. Install plug wires counter-clockwise starting at your selected #1 in the order 1,3,2,4.

 

8. Start engine and verify exact timing with a light.

 

Done.

 

Before you install the belts, verify that the inner-most crank sprocket is the one with the groove (chamfer) on the backside to clear the lip seal.

 

GD

Sweet! That will be Sunday's project. You should write repair manuals if you don't already. Many thanks.

TIMING BELT PROCEDURE.

 

Thanks to MilesFox, located in the Engine Section of the USRM. (Link on the top right of any page)