tiiming belt

[rene in tacoma]

I am putting in a timing belt on my ES 300. The new belt has 3 timing marks on it but nothing to say which mark is supposed to line up where. Does it matter how the belt is installed as long as the cams arelined up on the timing marks and the crank is at TDC? I lined up the first line with the dot on the crank like the manual says but when I put the belt on the 2 cam sprockets the line on the front sprocket is about 4" off. the other 2 lines are correct. AS long as the sprokets are lined with the marks on the back timing cover it should be OK right? The crank is at TDC.


Rene

[88 LE]

Ignore the marks on the belt. As long as the 2 cam gears (sprockets as you call them) and the crank pulley lines up, everything is okay.

After you get the belt installed and tensioned, rotate the crank from TDC to TDC and check alignment.

1. The notch on the crank pulley should line up with the "0" mark on the timing belt cover (the cover behind the crank pulley).

2. The 2 cam gears (sprockets) should line up with the marks on the backing plate (back timing belt cover).

If both conditions check out, your fine.

If not, you didn't line up the crank pulley and/or cam gears correctly. In which case you must remove the belt, align crank + cam gears, install belt + tension, and check alignment again by rotating the crank from TDC to TDC.


Also make sure that the belt is installed around whatever pulleys in the correct order and orientation. IE: belt wrap order/orientation.

[OEMonkey]

You didn't mention what year es300 you have. But on both 3vzfe and 1mzfe, there's a guide pulley between the 2 cam sprockets. Maybe you forgot to go under the guide pulley, that's why your match marks are 4" off.
There's a mark on the block where you line up the crank to TDC. This is NOT the same mark where you will be lining up the belt timing mark to the crank sprocket.