Started putting the engine back together today from my Daughters 2000 Legacy, 2.5. Got the heads back on oil pump sealed, water pump replaced etc. etc. Got to the timing belt. Lined the timing mark on the passenger side cam gear straight up, the main gear, straight up, go to move the drivers side camshaft gear mark to straight up and it goes sproing, right past 12:00 to about 2:00. OK, turn it back and spriong, 10:00. was finally able to get it to hang at 12:00 to get the belt on, but had arrived at the end of my time for the day and realized that even though I had all 3 marks on the belt on the gear marks the directional arrow was wrong. second time is always easier!

But my question is, why is the valve train so jumpy on the drivers side? The passenger side had was almost at 12:00 when I began so I didnt move it much, I assume it would have also jumped like the drivers side. And, if the diagrams all show the marks at 12:00, but the valve train wants to be at either 10:00 or 2:00 is it just a matter of finding the midpoint where it wants to spring one way or the other? Hope this makes some sense.

Give me a flathead 6 any day!

Thanks,

Tim

PWT

It just the way the engine has been deisign...if one valve is open, another is closed at any given time....pass side under no tension--driver side is under tendion.

I usually line up the belt at the crankshaft first...goe to top pass side cam gear...then to top driver cam gear...then to bottom driver cam gear....then bottom pass side cam gear....finally, I install the pulley on pass side at bottom of belt ....seems to work but it is awkward

His should be a SOHC - you're thinking a DOHC.

The drivers side is under load.

 

I use the plier type clamps to hold the belt on the correct place on the drivers cam sprocket, then on the end of the crank(with some old TB on the bottom to protect the splines, the pass side is easy.

 

I use 3 clamps total for kicks. I leave them on until I pull the tensioner pin.

 

FTY the SOHC is much easier than the DOHC in my opinion.

Thanks guys, that all makes sense. The spring clamps are a good idea, toy cant have too many hands!

Thanks again,

Tim

Small ones will work for the cams. Mine are maxed out on the crank.

 

Extra hands are nice - especially when you work alone like I do most of the time.

 

After several times of the TB "jumping" on the crank while trying to keep the drivers side cam in place and making sure the belt is lined up was enough to look for a solution. The tensioner without the pin pulled still puts weight on the belt since there is no way to hold it up (a fella runs out of hands).

 

I may have actually seen it here - I forget. But it is an excellent idea so I doubt it was mine.

more hands needed. last time i did a belt, i was like, umm, i need 3 more hands to hold everything tight. and there is not much room with engine in car to have another body there to help hold something they don;t really understand. my helper, she kept saying i think its still on the mark, which it wasn't. i finally told her go get me a beer. that was the help i needed,

i finally told her go get me a beer. that was the help i needed,

 

yeah, sometimes when i drink beer i end up seeing 2 of everything too. 4 hands are almost enough.

 

cheaper and more fun than hiring a helper.