Timing Belt Help Needed ASAP

[Onefast99gsx]

I just got car running tonight after changing my valve springs over. I used the actual Miller MDxxxxxx tool to compress the tensioner so I could remove the timing belt. Well I started the car up and let it run for 15 minutes at idle. After shutting it off, I checked the tension of the timing belt for the heck of it. I don't remember how it was before cuz it's been apart for a few weeks. It seems too loose. I don't understand why though. I didn't change any setting on the tensioner. I just compressed it. I took a ruler and pressed down on the belt between the 2 timing gears, made a mark on the ruler. Then I pulled upward and noted the mark. It's a good 1/2" of play. Does that seem too much to you guys. I don't remember if it's supposed to be banjo tight or what. Dammit, was hoping to go driving tonight for the first time since last Nov.

Thanks for any help.

[Onefast99gsx]

Update: I was reading on the other forum and someone stated that it depends where the cams are when the motor is shut off. So I brought the 2 timing marks to 3 & 9 o'clock and checked it again and it's just a hair above 1/4" of play.

[Onefast99gsx]

Forget it, i'm just gonna tear the bastard all back apart and reset the tensioner. After shutting the car off and resetting #1 to TDC manually, the belt deflection is 3/8". What a pain in the ass.

[Goat Blower]

You're not measuring deflection between the top of the timing gears, are you? Normally on other belts like the alternator belt, that's how you check it, at the center point between the two farthest spaced gears. On the timing belt, you measure the distance between the outer most point of the tensioner arm and the top of the tensioner body itself. I usually measure it with a drill bit, since it's about 3/8ths of an inch if I remember correctly. Setting the two dots on the tensioner pulley to 10 and 2 will get you right on 90% of the time, or damn close.

[Onefast99gsx]

HI Steve- yes that what i did. I just pulled up/down on the belt just to test it. Technically nothing should have changed. I didn't even change any setting on the tensioner because I used the tool to take the tension off the belt.

I can tell you that my two dots are at about 4 & 6. I think I have an old post on here where Raptor said that the 2 dots will be in a different location on a 2g. When my friend and I put it on last year, we tried the 10 & 2 and there just would have been no possible way.

Looking at the old post from last year, I stated 3 & 5 o'clock they were at when I was finished.

I know i'm not supposed to be checking it between the 2 cams gears but now i'm in such doubt that I think i must take it apart to satisfy it. I'll have to check with a drill bit. Wouldn't be so bad if you didn't have to dismantle so much but it's a good 3 to 4 hour job as it is....for me anyways.

[Goat Blower]

The Haynes or Chiltons manual spell the whole procdure out pretty well. And the tensioner hole trick is for the 1G, I didn't do enough 2G's to have a real shortcut, I just did it by the book.

There are a few reasons why you can't check between the cam gears. If some other board says you can, well, that's why I only read one other board. Too many idiots out there. First, it's a very small section of belt so you're not really getting a good representation of the total belt tension. You'd want to go with the greatest distance, like from the tensioner to the exhaust cam gear. Second, the cams have lobes and put a different amount of tension on the belt themselves depending on their position. If you spin them my hand, you'll see what I'm talking about. It's easy for an inch or two, than it's real tough as the cam lobe ramps up, then you get over the ramp and the cam gear spins a bit on it's own. Those factors will definitely have an effect on the belt tension between the cam gears. The only time it's worth anything if it's really loose between the gears, you can be assured that tensioner is completely shot and the belt is skipping.