Chrysler Repair: setting the timing after replacing the belt for a 93 sundance 4cyl., intermediate shaft, timingbelt

Question
I had my car towed to the mechanic to see why it quit on me. He said it was the timing belt and it would cost $350.00. So I decided to change it myself as I've done a few times before. I got the belt off and it did have several teeth missing confirming it was the belt. I got the new belt on but im having trouble setting the timing.Can you explain what I'm doing wroing or exactly what the marks looks like on each pully? Can you use pully diameters when your addressing each pully so I will know for sure which one your talking about? Thanks.

Answer
Hi Phil,
I found another reference for the timing belt tension setting as well as the timing mark verification, and the technuque of applying the belt to the sprockets (several different contributors);
www.allpar.com/eek/timingbelt.html
Those comments should get you thru this process with flying colors!
Roland


Hi Phil,
The crankshaft sprocket is the lowest one and the smallest one, having half as many teeth as the intermediate shaft and camshaft sprokets because it has to go around twice for each single rotation of the other two sprockets. The crankshaft sprocket has a single round hole at its edge as the timing mark. The adjacent intermdiate shaft sprocket has a notch in its outer edge that needs to be aligned with the hole in the crank sprocket. You should begin by removing the spark plugs if those are still in.
So first line up the crank and the intermediate shaft sprocket timing marks. Then turn the camshaft sprocket (the one at the top of the engine) so that by two different assessments it is in the correct alignment position: there is a hole in the sprocket and that hole should be at the top and aligned with the a hole in the rear timing cover; also there are a couple of bulges where the sprocket inner diameter fits onto the camshaft and a couple of holes in the sprocket directly opposite those bulges, and if you site through the two holes and visualize the top surfaces of the bolts that hold the camshaft in place at cyl #1 you will see that the 2 bolt caps are evenly centered in the 2 hole openings of the sprocket (essentially parallel to the plane of the cylinder head). So that gives you two ways to preposition the camshaft sprocket to be in time with the crank and intermediate shaft sprockets.
You then install the timing belt without moving any of the sprockets. Then rotate the crankshaft two full revolutions clockwise by means of its bolt. Then rotate the crackshaft further until the #1 cylinder is a TDC (Use the timing inspection opening at the rear of the engine).
Now to set the timing belt tensioner if it was released earlier you have to have a thin wrench (manual actually calls for a special weighted tool #C-4703) that fits the tensioner hex bolt that is larger than the the tensioner lock bolt. Put that thin wrench on the tensioner hex bolt in a horizontal plane position, then loosen the tensioner lock bolt which will cause the tensioner hex bolt to move from its locked position. Bring the thin wrench/special tool back to its original position at least within 15 degrees of horizontal (with the handle 15 degrees above the horizontal). Then while holding the thin/special wrench in that position again rotate the crankshaft sprocket two full revolutions by means of its bolt. While maintaining the position of the thin/special wrench in its "to within 15 degree above horizontal" position and tighten the tensioner lock bolt to 45 ft-lbs. That completes the installation of the timing belt. Check to see that the timing marks are still aligned to oneanother as described above.
I haven't done this myself but will need to do so soon on my 4 cyl '89 engine. So I may better be able to understand/describe it after that. This is taken almost verbatim from both the 89 and 94 shop manuals.
Let me know if this helps you.
Roland