Need help determining TDC of compression stroke

[BillyBopBop]

I am finishing up cahnging the timing belt on my 97 Camry V6. I lost track of the correct TDC position while turning the crank over. What is the easiest way to determine the correct crank position at TDC to lone up all 3 marks, the 2 cams on the crank. Can I be 180 degrees off and still have the crank dots matched up to the case ? Please help

[ihartmacz]

Noice double post.

Get a compression tester and put it in the #1 spark plug hole and rotate the crank manually until compression goes up.

Is the belt already off?

you could rotate the camshaft until the #1 intake and exhaust valves or both closed. Take a spark plug out and shine a light in the spark plug hole while having a friend rotate the crank until you can see the piston reach the top of the bore. Again - make sure the intake and exhaust valves are CLOSED on cylinder 1! I don't know if the V6 is interference. You might have to take the valve cover off.

[Stillrunning]

I assume the timing belt is off and you need to reset everything.

TDC #1 is where the crank pulley mark meets the timing mark at 0*. Every 360* rotation you're back to TDC #1. TDCC (compression) is determined by the cam shaft pulley location when the crank pulley mark is on TDC. If you set TDC crankshaft then set camshaft to timing marks, that will be TDCC #1. You can install the belt from there.

ihartmacz's correct to consider interference or not. Since the crank seems to have been moved and you did not force it, it doesn't appear that you encountered interference. I'd be careful rotating crank when cam shafts do not have the timing belt installed.

[BillyBopBop]

Great information, I wasn't sure if the crank mark was lined correctly that I could be 180 degrees off.