99.5 1.8t q 5sp.

Tiiming belt tensioner broke........

I am getting my head back from the machine shop next couple days and I have a couple questions about setting the timing during head installation. This is the process I am looking at. Pretty Please let me know if I'm wrong or right.

1) Crankshaft TDC is fairly easy because I can see no.1 piston (most forward) reaching its highest point. I turn crank until piston is at TDC then back it off until all pistons are about 1/2 way down (per Haynes). I know that when I am ready to set the crank to TDC all I have to do is rotate some CWise until marks match. This way I know I'm not 180 deg off. Please confirm this.

2) Install head......

3) Here is my main question(s).
-For the CAMSHAFT pulley gear can you be 180 off TDC even though your marks on the camshaft are in line? and if so
-How can you tell if the cam is set up to TDC? or
-Does it even matter as long as the marks are lined up?

Hope I'm not too far out of touch with this last question. It seems that most of the threads, books, etc. only address changing a timing belt that is intact and where the cam and crank are already relative correctto each other, and do not really address if the cam and crank have been independently moved in relation to each other.

Am I overthinking this?

Your input will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

help?

 

Were not talking distributors here. You dont have one. You cant be 180 out. Put the timing belt on the bottom crank pully and then put the cover and crank pully back on the crank. There are marks on the cover and pully that will line up for tdc number 1. For the head put the cam gear on loosely and slip the valvecover in place. Make sure the mark on the cam gear and the mark on the valvecover are aproximatly lined up. This will insure you dont bent any valves installing the head. Now that you know your in the "ballpark", install the head. Once you get the head on just line up the crank and cam marks and your done.

 

I'm talking about the cam pulley. Not a distributor. this car doesn't have a distributor. On the crank you can be at bottom instead of TDC (180 deg off) and still be on the mark, but this would be incorrect.

The crank is now set at TDC.

So you are saying that all i have to do is also set the cam to the mark and then put the belt back on keeping that relationship.

So basically my question is if i set the cam on the mark and then rotate just the cam one turn it will not make a difference?