Timing belt off 1/2 tooth?

Howdy,

So here's the deal. It's a 90 Civic LX Auto 1.5l and the water pump
went out on me with around 220K miles so I figured I would do the
timing belt and pump all together. I had never done one before but
always wanted to. So I had no problems taking everything off and
lined up the crank to TDC and the CAM to TDC before removing the belt
as well. But when putting on the new belt I could not get the marks
to line up perfectly like it was before. I was always about 1/2 tooth
off when looking at the CAM gear. But if I pulled the belt and
rotated the cam, I would just be another 1/2 off just in the oppostite
direction. So after much unluck, I decided to put it all back
together hoping the tensioner and everything would take up the slack
and get it right on. Well it didnt, ugh. But the car started right
up and actually runs. I set the idle and checked the timing and it is
about and inch off from the timing marks (3lines) , retarded. The
distributor is as advanced as it can go.

So this brings me to my main question. I was thinking that if I
rotated the CRANK gear instead of the CAM gear, wouldn't that cause
the CAM gear to only rotate 1/2 tooth since it turns 2:1 as the CAM
gear? I see no other way to get this thing right on? Also if this is
the case, is there a way to move the belt off the CRANK gear a tooth
without taking off all the crap again? Ugh...

thanks guys!
JD

 

Did you change the camshaft??????

Did you use the correct alignment marks?????


For the D15 motors, the line on the cam gear at 3 and 9 oclock line up with
the valve cover gasket surface.

Use the uper left picture, for D15B7/D15B8 for alignment marks.

http://www.bettendorf.com/~mrbone/pictures/RR/camphasing.jpg

 

Hey thanks for the great picture of the manual...That will help
alot...I was also gonna post earlier that I was confused about the
timing mark on the CAM...I had no problem lining up the CRANK because
I verified the mark by doing the screwdriver in the #1 piston hole
test, to find when it got to TDC. Then verified that with the CRANK
mark. But when it was time to set the CAM I realized that in the
manual it said that all 1.5L engines have only two marks at say 9 and
3 oclock with UP at 12oclock. But on MINE I have that 3rd mark around
7oclock or so and also that pointer index on the plastic cover. So I
was confused on which one to go by???? I think this is where the
problem lies. Should I not have this 3rd mark at 7oclock. Could
someone have installed the wrong cam gear on this cam?

 

D15 and D16 share the same cam gears, hence both sets of marks.

The D16 block is slightly taller, hence the 1/2 tooth or 4.75 degree
difference.