Hello brickboard.com forum,

I'd like to know what ya'll think is the best way to set the valve/ignition timing when replacing a broken timing belt on a B230F engine...

I have attempted to install the new belt twice now. Here are details of the steps I took in each fruitless attempt:

1. Lined up the dimples on the cam- and intermediate sprokets with the marks on the timing cover identified by my Haynes manual. Temporarily reinstalled lower timing cover and crankshaft pulley (sans bolt), set no. 1 piston to TDC by turning the pulley until its notch lined up with the "0" mark on the lower timing cover. Noticed that the position of the distributor rotor button indicated that ignition timing was advanced--the button was turned perhaps 10 or 12 degrees past the little notch in the distributor housing that (I believe) indicates what should've been its position... Scratched head dumbly, decided to install new T-belt, lower timing cover, crank pulley (w/ bolt), crank 'er up and see what happened. What happened was a lot of sputtering and shaking, about 3 seconds of rough idle, and then nothing.

2. Did everything the same, except ignition timing, which I set by lining the rotor button up with the aforementioned notch on the distributor housing. This time it sputters and shakes, but does not start at all...

What the hell is going on here? Even if the ignition timing is still a little off, shouldn't the damn car at least be able to start? How out of adjustment does ignition (or valve, though I don't think that's the problem) timing have to be to screw everything up like this? I'm damn certain that the valve timing is correct...but then, the crank pulley does have a bit of play before the pulley and bolt are installed...

Thanks,

-David