Question about Timing on a 1988 Toyota Camry

[Cap'n 2jz]

1988 Toyota Camry: 2.0 3SFE

260 000 kms


some teeth stripped off my belt last week, car died.

Changed the belt, the water pump and the 2 oil seals.

Its working NOW but wtf I was pissed about what I had to do to get it to start again

Obviously since the crank spun into empty cause the teeth sheered I lost Top dead center. Easy fix right? even in the toyota service manual, line up the cam mark with the mark on the bearing cap, then line the timing mark on the crank to 0. Simple!

no :SM130 (1):

I start the car, the engine runs like SHIT, runs super rough, hit it with the timing light, 10 below like its supposed to be, nothing, runs like shit.

Turn it off, check the marks, all fucked up, nothing on TDC.

So I tried a couple of times, 2 turns on the crank and 2 turn on the cam and bring them both to TDC and reinstall the belt. Again same problem, car runs like shit.

So then I'm like, I'm sick of screwing around with this. I took out the #1 spark plug and shoved long shaft screw driver in the hole and turned the crank over by hand. The timing mark on the crank when lined to 0 only brought the #1 piston half way up. NO GOOD. So I put the piston up manually by watching where the screw driver topped out. WAY off the factory mark. I made a timing mark with a pencil. Lined up the cam, put the belt back on and BAM started after 1 turn! turned the distributor to 10 under and it purrs. The factory timing mark is wrong.

WHY :eekfacepalm:

[SilverMk2]

Crank pulley slipped?

[Cap'n 2jz]

it cant, its on a pin that only lets you put it on 1 way :32: thats what I cant understand! its working perfect now :confused:

look at this

camry stuff.com

http://camrystuff.com/index.php?page=Gen2_Manuals

engine mechanical page ~30 if anyone is intrigued to check.

its wrong for my application! my little nick in the crank is about 1/4 turn or more away from the 0 when the car is at true TDC. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that one. :sadbanana:

[Sean Chung]

Crank pulley slipped?

I think Aaron is right. Sounds like the rubber part of you balancer is bad, and the outer ring slipped.

Having timed a few Toyotas, I use the marks on the crank and cam sprockets, not the balancer. On that engine, there is a small tick mark on the crank sprocket that will line up with a dimple on the block. Then use a mirror and flashlight to look through the little hole for the mark on the cam cap. Also, because the way that engine is tilted, when the book says straight up, they're not talking about from the ground, they're talking about on the engine centerline (between the cam sprocket and crank sprocket).

BTW, I always replace the oil pump o-ring and oil pump seal, along with the cam and crank seals. The oil pump o-ring very commonly leaks.

[Cap'n 2jz]

ok that makes more sense if the damper itself shifted, thats more than possible. I have a spare one to use if this one craps out. on this 3sfe, the marks are on the plastic timing cover, not on the block. It makes sense now! thanks guys! :thumbsup:

[Sean Chung]

I was talking about timing the engine with no covers or damper on. The crank sprocket itself will have a mark on it to time to the block.

[Cap'n 2jz]

this I did not know!