hello all.

got one of these engines to fit into a brava, the head is on (and staying there!) but there is no tension in the cam belt - so i've no idea what posistion each end of the engine is in.

To set the bottom end i'm going to get some dowels and put them in the plug holes and turn it over till they all line up.

But the top end? How do you line that up?

hmmm ok, after reading about how its done.. i've ordered the proper tools!

you should have got them in place before putting head on, how you know you havent just tightened head up with a piston at the top an valves on same pot open

because i bought the engine with the head already on, just that the belt was off!

i'm not that daft dave!

why was belt off?

i don't know, it was like that when it turned up.

and you not going to whip head off to make sure it wasn't because it broke?

The belt is still there, just not under tension. If it were my engine to go in my car, then yes i would have the head off already - but am fitting it for a mate, and he doesnt want the expense of new gaskets. So the head is staying on.

ooo try an convince him, gasket not that much and can fit one of the low comp ones like starjet has