Chrysler Repair: 99 LHS 3.5L: Timing belt positioning, cam sprockets, cam shaft

Question
QUESTION: Hey Roland
I am doing the timing on my vehicle this weekend. I wanted to know when placing the timing marks on the cam sprockets in between the two marks on the rear cover, do they have to be exactly in between or as long as they are between the two marks they are good? Because the manual nor any other information online tells the specifics of that.

ANSWER: Roland,
In the ideal world, one would have put marks the back cover prior to removing the belt (and when the crank was shown to be at TDC) showing exactly where each cam mark was positioned. If you didn't do that then I would put them equidistant between the marks shown on the back covers. And of course if the belt broke prior to removal, that is what you would have to do.
Do you have the detailed procedure for installing the belt?
Roland

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I haven't taken the belt off just yet. I want to place the timing marks on my own because they are noticeably off when the crank is at tdc. The procedures that I've been reading states to not rotate the cams when the timing belt is off. But from what I can see, it is impossible to rotate the while the belt is still on.

Answer
Hi Marvin,
I believe the rotation precaution is a 'matter of degree'. If you think a cam shaft is off by one tooth or so you should be able to rotate that safely with the belt off. In any case if you rotated the crank and cams in the ration of 1 to 2 in small increments I would believe you can make small adjustments as necessary if they aren't way out of time already. You didn't say what you meant by 'noticeable off' but my guess would be they should be somewhere in between the two marks and if so I would presume that is where they should be when you put the belt back on, some mark them as such according to the manual. If they are outside that framework then I would be inclined to try to move them into that region with the belt off.
Roland