cam crank timing HELP

[zanderD]

I am in the process of changing my timing belt, i had all the timing marks lined up and everything, but after installing the new belt and manually rotating the engine a few times i noticed the timing marks are not lining back up correctly. their must have been slack in the belt or something. to make certain everything is correct i was thinking about re-timing the crank and the cams. my question is how do i go about re-timing the crank and cams than re-installing the timing belt. i really need to get is job done this weekend.


1993 Toyota Camry I4

[N/A Camry Sleeper]

Make sure you rotate the ENGINE two full revolutions since the cam turns at exactly half the speed of the engine. I would get TDC from the engine first by inserting a screwdriver into the sparkplug hole on #1 cylinder. Rotate the engine until the screwdriver is at it's maximum vertical travel. Once you have this established - look at your valvetrain. Both sets of valves should NOT be in contact with the the lobes on the cam. If they are, rotate the cam pulley around to it's mark (you would have been 180* off)

Hope this helps - This was the way my dad always told me to do it and it works every time for me...Don't worry though - the 5SFE is a NON interference engine so if you don't perfectly line up the marks it will not destroy the motor...Thanks Toyota!

[71Corolla]

Did your timing belts have marks on it, and did you use those marks? Or did you use the marks on the cam/crank and the housings?

There is no real need to remove a spark plug, as long as your crank and camshaft marks are set correctly when the belt goes on, it is impossible to get the timing wrong. TDC is when the crank pulley or gear lines up to the zero mark, it is not any more complicated than that.

[zanderD]

i lined up the balancer with the TDC 0 timing mark at the crank, and lined the hole on the pulley with the the mark on the bearing housing, and also painted on my own timing marks i think the belt slipped because the tension-er must have not been tensioned all the way

[71Corolla]

Don't rotate the engine when the tensioner is loose, the belt will slip for sure. There are two marks on the bearing casing on the older 5S engines, make sure you referenced the right one. See this thread and specifically this image.

[zanderD]

ok, i reset the cam and crank to their timing marks, i had the valve cover off since i am replacing the seals on it, i looked at the valve lobs to make sure they were right, put the timing belt back on, tightened the tension-er and manually rotated the engine, and rechecked timing marks, everything looks good now

thank you, and thank you to every one else that contributed on behave of my ordeal.

[zanderD]

ok, everything is all set, engine runs very good and timing is right at 10 degrees before TDC

[toovira]

Let me also add that you can advance (in 5SFE case) the camshaft by a cog or two after setting TDC on both cam and crank. This is to compensate for the slack....it's a lot easier than trying to stretch the belt. Once you get to the right cog, you can retard (counter-clockwise) the cam to tension again (probably permissible as it's such a small movement on the valvetrain).

I usually just put the belt, spin the crank 2 rotations, check the alignment, mark the belt, advance a cog or two, spin the crank twice, check the alignment.....repeat until perfect.

[NapalmFTW]

How do you advance the timing by the camshaft? Do you need to take the valve cover off?

Sorry to resurrect a thread.