Help! I'm currently replacing timing belt etc. on our 2007 Acura RL. I know this isn't exactly the right forum, but a 3.5 L J series engine is just that. The problem is that in installing a new belt which has been marked to match the timing marks on the cam sprockets is difficult because turning the camshaft with a wrench requires considerable torque and wants to jump to the wrong place for #1 TDC. Anyone know how to do this? I know that keeping the marks aligned with the original belt would have been easier,but somehow the new belt slipped and had to be taken off and reinstalled. I'm sure there is some trick to doing this but haven't been able to figure it out. Help!

 

when I did my timing belt, the rear cam was a bit hard to turn also, when it reached TDC, it had a tendency to bounce in either direction. I was able to get a long handle wrench and slowly turn it in place(took a bit of force) and it eventually stayed in that position

 

Thanks Paperboy, my genius 14 mm long handle wrench was the solution. There isn't room for a large socket, but this made the job pretty simple. I do have one remaining question:

After installing the belt so that the marks on the belt, pulley and indicator were all lined up, I noticed that after turning the crank several times the lines on the belt were not remain stationary. Or put another way, when the crank pulley mark lines up with the arrow on the lower cover the two crank marks are at TDC. However the lines on the belt aren't where they were. I'm inclined to ignore this because all three marks on the pulleys are aligned, just the belt mark doesn't match any more.

Anybody have an idea what's going on? Is it important?

 

Hi Ho: Nothing like answering your own question... I just talked with my son-in-law Jeff who has serviced Honda/Acura for many years. He doesn't know the actual technical explanation, but he says it is normal for the lines on the belt to progress away from the timing marks. They will eventually come back to the original lining up with the crank and timing marks, but it takes quite a few revolutions. I expect that this has something to do with the belt moving at a different rate than the pulleys, but according to Jeff if the timing marks line up and nothing hits when the crank is repeatedly rotated you are "good to go".

I don't know why nobody mentioned this, but now you know (me too).

 

I purchased a video from ericthecarguy.com on this. I have watched the vid twice in preps for my adventure. He does not mark the belt. He shows how he installs the belt (makes it look easy) and looks at all 3 timing marks only after the belt is installed. He did not move the cams or crank either... at least as shown in the vid. The video is very informative. Just an FYI for future "Search" guys like me

 

That is because the crank gear needs to turn twice before the cam gears turn once. So after 1 revolution of the crank gear, you'll see the lines not lined up. The crank gear is a smaller gear.

 

Even though the cam gears run 1/2 speed of the crank gear, the ratio keeps the gears in sync, meaning that if you were to mark the gears at the top, every our revolution the marks would all line up at the top.
The problem is the tensioner and the "loose" belt on the left side which is why the belt doesn't stay in tune with the gears, it's travel time for a complete revolution is longer. The belt being taught on the right side is how the gears stay in sync.

As an example, remember the V-8's or cars that had the cam in the block and was run via chain drive with no tensioner? With the marks in line, the cam gear was installed with the chain around the crank pulley, then with the chain around the cam gear, the cam gear was pushed onto the camshaft with the dowel in the proper area.
Now if you were to mark the chain, it would always line up unless it got loose enough to jump time, very, very unusual.

 

Hi Ho: I'm still a little confused. I know that the crank turns twice for each revolution of the cam, but one might expect that after two revolutions the belt would be back where it started....Not so. The belt has moved about 8 teeth. With another two two revolutions that becomes about 16 teeth. I'm sure it would line back up sometime. All three timing marks are right where they belong, just not the belt.

Anyway, everything works just fine and I'm done (except with the code for the audio system). But that's another story. I'll so a search and start a separate post. Thanks to all who helped.

 

If the car was serviced at a dealer and you have the receipt, the radio code is usually listed up in the dealer notes area near the top...