According to the only previous owner, the timing belt on my 27000mile Yr2000 1.2 8v has never been changed. I opened it up, and found that when the camshaft mark is aligned correctly, the crankshaft mark is a little low. But, using a 6mm metal rod from B&Q (with a conveniently placed barcode sticker on it) in the spark holes, I visually checked the that this is actually the 1 & 4 piston's tdc positions. When I align the crank sprocket mark as per instructions, the piston has sunk maybe 1.5mm from tdc.

I've renewed the belt, pulley, and water pump. I've set the cam and crank sprockets according to their markings, so now the cam is operating one notch later than it was. Tomorrow I hope to drive the car and see how it responds.

Anyone reads this and thinks I'm making a big mistake, let me know, ta.

tell me the diference? i heard that when u move it one notch ahead i get more NM, and one behinde i get more HP. is it true??


p.s. The F.I.R.E. engines have big commpresino holes in the head so the valuves can`t hit the piston, that alo means that u can put Timing Belt one or two notches out withou any big consequent...
corect me if i`m wrong...

valuves can`t hit the piston on the 8v fire no. as for ok to be 1 notch out, never heard of that being a good thing

Either the crankshaft sprocket timing mark is wrong, and the timing was correct, or, if the crankshaft timing mark is right, then the car's been driven 27000miles with valves advanced by one camshaft sprocket notch. Weird.

I've just run the engine briefly with marks aligned as per instructions. It sounded okay (camshaft now one notch retarded from what it was). I'm going to road test it soon, but, damn, the thread on the top alternator bolt has just stripped and I had to grind the bloody thing off! (It did get bloody, too, as I slit my finger on a shard. Other finger's going green from where I bashed it on Tuesday, other's gone crooked this year, and I'm cold... But, what the hell, it's an interesting challenge.)

Just to repeat what I've discovered: when the crankshaft sprocket timing mark is aligned with the end of the casing flange (as per instruction pics), my pistons have slightly passed tdc. So exact tdc happens with the mark slightly before the correct position, as in my pic, above.

New Timing belt was singing like an Alaskan wind, so I slightly eased the tension off the 90degree recommended (now I can twist the belt to about 120degrees, which is how the original one was set too).

Just driven the car, no faster than 40mph, and all fine.

I discovered this weird timing when I was familiarising myself with the settings. When the crankshaft sprocket was aligned the cam sprocket mark only aligned by sighting down at an angle from roughly over the wing . When I set the cam sprocket correct (using a camera to get the horizontal view) then the crankshaft sprocket was slightly retarded, as in my first pic in this post, but that position, I discovered, is actually true tdc for pistons 1 & 4. I've put the new belt on with the timing marks correctly aligned (as per instructions), so the cam sprocket is now one notch retarded on what it was. Don't know yet if this is really the correct position...

if you take rubber bung out of bell housing there is another tdc mark on the fly wheel you can use