Timing Belt – Premarked?

[aaronac8]

Why aren’t all timing belts premarked? Is it because one belt may be used for more than one type of engine?

By marking your old timing belt at the TDC marks on the camshaft(s) and crank then transferring these marks to the new belt (which needs to be the same size), timing should be dead on….correct?

For example:
Crank Mark

Cam Marks

Attachments:

• crank.jpg
• exhaust_cam.jpg
• intake_cam.jpg

Topic

[college man]

That would help if they were all marked. sounds like a good
business venture to manufacture timing belts premarked.$$$$$

[William McClurg]

Couldn’t you have a cam a full revolution out of phase on a DOHC engine, and the mark would still line up?? Are those pics from a SOHC engine? I dunno, but I’d bet that’s why not all of them are marked like that. Maybe the folks that mark timing belts for a living assume that we can make sure one cam is on the right phase, but we can’t handle two of ’em.

[Richie]

I’ve had pre marked belts in the past but I’m not a big fan of them. I prefer to check the timing marks and do things that way just for my own peace of mind, since a small mistake on the belt could really mess you around later on. I did a punto belt that had its own markings on it once and they were so far out it was ridiculous. Luckily its non interference and I timed it off the marks anyway. 🙂

[EricTheCarGuy]

The marks are helpful but be careful. Timing belts are designed to be ‘hunting’ meaning they don’t line up every revolution. If you go to check your marks by rotating the engine over they won’t line up in the same place on the belt.

[Author]

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