timing belt

what is the best way to install a timing belt without the marks on the belt?? count the teeth on the belt from the crankshaft over? Both sides? Is this usually a timely process?

http://www.endwrench.com/pdf/engine/FtCamBeltReplaceW01.pdf

 

This is for the EJ22.

It always helps to make your own marks before removing the timing belt. Even if you are going to replace it. Always a good backup.

 

But, seeing you are beyond that issue, you don't actually NEED the marks on the belt.

To install without any marks on the belt, all you have to do is make sure the cam and crank sprockets notches are lined up corresponding to the marks on the engine.

Start by putting the belt on the crank pulley, then the others working in counter clockwise motion as you keep tension on the belt. That way the slack will be at the tensioner.

 

To make sure you put it on right, turn the crank 2 full turns, and the marks should still be aligned.

At least with your car you don't have to worry about catastrophic engine failure if the timing is off.

Why is that??? Thats funny because I drove around a little bit with the timing off. The belt was off by 2 or 3 teeth

The early Phase I 2.2L engine is a non-interference engine, meaning that even with no timing belt, it is physically impossible for the pistons to come into contact with the valves. If you were driving and the timing belt broke, the engine would stop running, but would not destroy itself. Usually in an interference engine when the timing belt breaks the pistons will come up on the valves, either bending the valves, or destroying the pistons, or both. In the 1993 EJ22 (Which your car is equipped with) the pistons at top dead center still have clearance from the valves at full lift. There is no way for any harm to come to the engine from bad timing, the engine will simply not run.

mine even ran like this:

 

http://jamalb.net/gallery/d/1759-2/IMG_2247.JPG

My Ac has not worked in a long time....and I live in VT so there is not much need for it....do I really need to install the ac belt and tensioner??

Not one bit. I've been running without one for almost 20K miles.

 

But you should still remove the tensioner, or else it could come in contact with the crank pulley. This happened to me. It's three easy to get at bolts on the front of the engine.