Interesting you should mention that -- it looks like the only thing in the belt path that could be taken out (it IS located low on the driver's side on the back of the radiator, right? (3) 20-22 ga wires?) The wires appear intact, but the insulation has been stripped from two of them and they may be shorting. I'll fix that now that I see it.

I'll do a compression check as well to see if the valves are bent up.

The timing belt does feel a little loose now that I'm reexamining it -- I can deflect it with my finger a good 1/2 inch or so with not a lot of pressure (but that's where it stops). The serpentine belt I just put on only deflects about 1/4 inch with the same pressure and seems much tighter.

I ordered a code reader on ebay, but it'll probably take a week to get here...

I'm also going to call my local shop and see if I can't pick his brain a bit before I give up and just haul it over there.

 

Okay, here's the latest: I ran a compression test. The RH (passenger) bank is dead with 0 psi across all 3 cylinders. The LH (driver) bank is near normal, with #4 @ 166, #5 @ 164, and #6 @ 119. Upon adding WD-40, #6 went up to 180, so I have a bit of ring leakage there, but #4 and #5 remained the same.

So obviously the RH cam definately slipped timing. The question is: does no compression nesessarily mean valve damage, or simply that it's out of sync and the valves aren't closing at the proper times?

 

the timing belt shouldnt really be loose at all. unfortunately zero compression means bent valves more times then not, only pulling the head off will tell you. #6 is low but should still run if the rest were all in working order. i would try and line up the crank timing marks then see where the marks on the cam pullys are. you probably jumped timing on the passengers side head.

 

nevermind

 

Where do I look for timing marks? I have the front of the engine exposed and all but the crank pulley off, but don't see any timing marks...

I also understand there is an old and a newer design for the timing belt tensioner. How do I know which one I'm looking at to buy? Any brands to look for or stay away from? Same with the belt itself -- I want it to last awhile without worrying about it. I look at Kragen and Autozone and they both have a cheap belt and tensioner and belt and ones that cost about 3x as much.

The tensioner in there now is a TKF with an allen bolt holding it in place and an allen head hole to torque it.

 

Okay, found the crank timing mark. Engine is now at TDC. How do I align the cams?

 

there are similar marks on the cams as are on the crank. did you already take off the old timing belt before seeing if the cams did infact jump timing?

 

No, the belt is still on as in the photo. Where are the timing marks on the cams? Are they on the front or on the back under the belt? Where are the corresponding marks on the heads (or the plastic rear covers?)

 

they are on the front (closest to cyl#1), there is a mark on one tooth of the cam pully and a corresponding mark on the head, imprinted in the metal surrounding that pully. it looks like this:
http://www.audiworld.com/tech/pics/eng35-upper_mark.jpg

when the crank is at TDC and the timing marks line up, the cam marks should also automatically line up. these marks synchronize the exhaust cam and the crank. to sync the exhaust cam with the intake cam, you look at the back of the engine (near cyl#4) and there are marks on the cam chain sprocket teeth. they should be both pointing strait vertically and have 16 links of chain between them. if the exhaust cam syncs with the crank, and the intake cam syncs with the exhaust cam, then the intake cam also syncs with the crank.

 

I have the 12V V6... I don't have a timing mark like this one and the area surrounding the cam pulleys is a plastic housing.