Timing belt (not, obviously, a K5)

[dremu]

Working on my buddies' Fiat ... yeah, I know, it's not a Blazer ... I'm workin' on him too

Anyway, replaced the timing belt, and I *thought* I had all the various marks lined up (two overhead cams and the crankshaft), but it won't time for sh!t now that it's back together.

If I time the distributor anywhere near where it's supposed to be by the book, it either won't turn over, or runs like crap ... backfires, etc. OTOH, if I time it way the heck off (like, oh, 10-20 degrees maybe?) it will run at speed, but dies at idle.

I suspect y'all will tell me that I need to yank the belt off and do it again 'cuz I got it wrong ... but all input listened to.

Yes, I know if the belt is off All Hell Will Break Loose and the valves will impact the pistons ... which is why we called it a night. But dangit, it's like || this close!

-- A

 

[smalltruckbigcid]

Yep, you're outa time. You know what FIAT stands for right....Fix It Again Tony or my favorite, Found In Any Toilet.
George

 

[Fierospeeder]

I suggest you redo it. If you never done a timing belt job, then you dont have the experience of getting it just perfect. It is also a good time to replace the tensioner too, if that vehicle has one.

Get all the timing marks right, run the belt around the pulleys. And slowly release the tensioner, making sure the pulleys dont move.

 

[dremu]

Well, we've discovered that the timing on this car is done with the light connected to .... you guessed it, the #4 cylinder.



So I'll reinstall the distributor and re-time it, and see ... maybe I just had it waaay off.

If not, yeah, that belt is coming out...

Thanks guys!

-- A

 

[unclematty]

Back when I was doing it for a living, I did so many T belts I was known by those around me as "Toof off". well anyway, Fiat's are some of the worst for needing to be dead on the marks as far as the T belt is concerned, so you better make sure that it is right, or you'll bend every valve in the poor thing!
I will line up the marks on the cams (DOHC) and clamp them together with needle nose vise grips, then set everything else up and put it together. it's not uncommon to have to readjust the one of the gears after you've got it all together. good luck!!