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Good idea mwatt, but having a fuel pressure gauge on my car, I know that there is no pressure left in the fuel system in the morning (in fact it takes 2-3 hours at most to dissipate). Even if there is no pressure left in the system my car starts normally.

OK, I get it. You got me on that one. I really must have too much faith on what professionnals can do. I'll learn...

Wawalker, I think I can now see you as someone I would like to keep talking with... Dont run away! I will not answer your post completely (points in you post I agree with, others...) today for lack of time and cause I think I did my day's work here already:burnout: Before I leave i would like you to understand that i followed Haynes and Motor Magazine recommendations when I replaced my belt and that it made my placement of the belt easy. Is that not ALSO a FACT someone asking for info here should know ? I had mucho problemos with the cam seals but that's another story. See you next time.

Arrogant and beside the point as always in this thread. Adios!

I dont know if I've got a problem on my end but all I get is a thumbnail.

1) I know both these enwrench references and have used them - with other sources - when I replaced my belt. 2) Refering to my preceding post, you're way off the mark when you say that this material is "generalized" and "biaised toward American made cars". The article I quoted was writen by Dan Marrinucci, of the "Froreing Service" section of Motor Magazine and deals specificaly with cam belt replacement on the 2.2 L Subaru engine. 3) I take nothing as Gospel, be it something written in a book or posted on this forum or elswhere. I just report it as info or opinion open to discussion (read again my posts in this thread, specialy my second answer to DR. RX). There are probably people here that think their word is Gospel or a quote from Gospel. I'm not one of them. 4) I take exception to your last remark. I think this Board is open to all (experts, pseudo expert and amateurs like myself) and I often make a special effort to make clear in my posts that I'm only stating an opinion open to discussion. I think members and visitors are intelligent enough not to blindly follow anything anyone writes here in answer to their questions (be it comming from a "pro" or an amateur). I have many times, in other threads and in this one, when it was the case, specified that it's only my opinion or my experience and that the poster would be well advised to wait for other opinions to take a decision. Examples taken from my posts in this thread: - (end of post no 8) : " I would be interested to know what other members think of this." - (post 27) " : Not absolutely sure about what I'm gonna say Wawalker, but..." - (post 38) : " If I had to bet on this right now, I would rather put my money on your experience than on the exactness of my recollections..." - I dont see anything resembling those precautions in Dr. RX. or in your posts. 5) Finally, going back on all that I've written in this thread, I dare you to find anything that is false. (a) I've stated that the acronym TDC is often understood in the automotive world (and not by ignorants) as generaly meaning the upper most position of the piston on the compression stroke and the fact that two of the most read automotive manuals, Haynes and Chilton's, (and there are others) side with me on this cannot be just brushed aside in an authoritarian and know-it-all gesture. I did'nt say that it was incorrect to use it as meaning the uppermost position of the piston on any stroke, I just said there seemed to be two (who's reading the Gospel here...) conflicting and equally legetimate usages of the acronym TDC. Anyone pretending that TDC has only one meaning or one usage in the automotive world is ill informed and it's a good thing that I could set that straight. ( I've also stated that there are two independant sources that advise - to make things easier - to put the crankpulley timing mark at zero while checking (that only in Haynes) that #1 piston is at TDC (compression stroke) before removing the cam covers, advising that, while unecessary (like 777 made clear), it could make aligning the three sets of marks easier. © The rest of it was only my trying to explain to Dr. RX. that our disagreement was not the consequence of conflicting conceptions on how the internal of an engine works, but just a misunderstanding based on words. This was apparently unsuccessful. In conclusion, (1)I dont see how anyone reading my posts in this thread could come out of it with false informations that could jeopardize their attempt at replacing their cam belt. "I feel for the people who are relying on this fourm for correct info to repair their cars" is an abusive and insulting statement. (2) I dislike very much the way Dr. Rx and now yourself are talking down to people on this forum.

Not that I doubt your word, but that would help settle that question once and for all. TIA.

Concerning the Haynes recommendation to put piston #1 at TDC (compression stroke) before removing the covers when replacing the cam belt, Motor Magazine, seems to give the same advice. Am I right in thinking that putting the crankshaft pulley (not sprocket) timing mark at zero is equivalent to putting #1 piston at TDC (compression stroke), if of course the old belt is still properly installed ? "The easiest way to do it on a 2.2 is to bring the timing mark on the harmonic balancer up to 0 on the engine’s timing tab mounted on the front cover. Then remove the outer cam belt covers and check the timing marks on the front face of each cam sprocket. These indentations, which we’ll discuss in greater detail next time, face the front of the car and must both be pointing straight up. If both cam sprocket marks aren’t exactly at 12 o’clock high, the t-belt was installed incorrectly."

Answer: Yes, I was using a compression gauge on #1 cylinder. If I had to bet on this right now, I would rather put my money on your experience than on the exactness of my recollections . Dont take it personnal though if I'm not absolutely convinced and will be waiting for more proofs.

Not absolutely sure about what I'm gonna say Wawalker, but i followed Haynes in the first part of my cam belt replacement and put piston #1 at TDC (compression stroke) while setting the crankshaft mark and IIRC the three sets of marks then lined up. For what it's worth.

Lets get the confusion to its max: 1) Haynes 89100 page 2A-4: "Top dead center (TDC) is the highest point in the cylinder that each piston reaches as it travels up the cylinder bore. Each piston reaches TDC on the compression stroke and on the exhaust stroke, but TDC generally refers to the piston position on the compression stroke." 2) Chilton's 64302 glossary, page 10-77. "Top Dead Center : the point at which the piston reaches the top of its travel on the compression stroke."

Corky - If I can call you by this name - I think this is becoming hopeless:banghead: and that we should let it drop.I get the feeling that you've have'nt read my posts with enough attention or are confusing me with another poster. I'm not in the process of replacing my belt, I've done it 2 years ago and very successfully. My only mistake was to have commented (out of nowhere, all my excuses) on your first post in this thread presuming that by TDC you meant TDC on the compression stroke, wich in the context was a legetimate but erroneous interpretation. All of what followed was only a consequence of this misunderstanding. That's all. Let's forget about this please, or Josh will zoom us to the new "semantic" forum.

Here's a photo.

I have it on the desk in front of me. The handle part is 9 inches long and the chain is 19 inches long. It's a locking chain pliers. The handle part looks like regular Vise Grip pliers (and works much like it), except the jaws are different. The lower jaw has one end of the chain riveted to it and the upper jaw is like a double hook that catches on pins that stick out on both sides of the chain links. I was about to give you the part number but I see it's a Mastercraft model bought at Canadian Tire in Montreal and is a copy of the Vise Grip one. Thus the part number would'nt be very useful to you. Good luck!

Yea. Maybe we should have a special forum for that. As soon as a moderator detects it is happening, zooooom!

Hi! Could you give some more details? What vac line did you use exactly? Did you just drop it in the can? etc. Would like to do something similar but am afraid the vac could suck in too much fluid and harm the engine. TIA

It's part of the regular Vise Grip line. I bought mine in a hardware store. IIRC the price was under 20$ CAN.

I understand all of that Dr. RX. The problem is one of language (the most important of which is definition of TDC which, once again, does'nt seem to be as unanimous as you seem to think - i gave a few examples) and communication. Your first post was open to at least two interpretations and in the absence of context I chose one which was not the meaning you intended. That's all. And we should leave it at that. Have a good day.

Hi tcpeer! Dont ask me to explain cause I'm too tired and should already be in bed, but I absolutely aggree with the description you just gave. I think maybe my last answer To DR. RX should make clear what the crux of the debate with him was. I hope. Good night!

I'm ready to believe that I've probably read less reference manuals than you have, but all of the references that I have read concerning engine timing refer without exception to "degrees before TDC" withoug qualifying it. "The timing marks of most engines refer to TDC purely by piston position". True. But timing marks are useful only if they refer to the piston #1 at some degrees BTDC on the compression stroke. I dont see how setting spark on the exhaust stroke would be useful. The timing marks mechanicaly refer only to the #1 piston position but are useful only when the camshaft position is such that this piston position coincide with a precise position of the valves, in that case, shut.

Not at all DR. Even if lots of other things often appear this way to me (too advanced for me to comprehend). That's exactly how I am and was seeing things. But I would like you to see that this implies that you first post ("When the crank shaft timing mark is set, #1 is near TDC.") is true only if we give the acronym "TDC" the general meaning that you give to it (any topmost position of the piston) and if the old belt is not on. If the old belt is on (like it is in most cases of belt replacement) and if we give TDC the more restrictive meaning that I gave it (top most position of piston #1 on the compression stroke), the sentence becomes false: one could have the crankshaft timing mark set and #1 piston at the top of the exhaust stroke. In that case of course the right camshaft pulley mark would not be aligned. Understand that I'm just trying to explain how I read your post, and how it could legitimately be read that way since it was devoid of any contextual informations. I'm sorry to detect traces of agressiveness in the last sentence of your last post. I would like to believe that this is not necessary.

Dr. RX, thanks for answering, but with all due respect, I think that what you write is open to discussion on at least one count. "Since these are four stroke engines, #1 is TDC every other stroke, one stroke down, next stroke up, next down then up, four strokes, it is TDC at the top of ever up stroke" (1) In lots of automotive glossary on the web, TDC is explicitely referred to not as any topmost position of the piston but as the piston's top position on the compression stroke. In the post of mine to which you are answering, TDC is used to mean "the piston's top position on the compression stroke" Have a look here: http://autorepair.about.com/cs/generalinfo/l/bldef_762.htm : "Definition of TDC: The point at which the piston reaches the top of its travel on the compression stroke." and this: "Top Dead Center -- when a piston is at the top most position during the compression stroke. TDC can also refer to the top most position of the piston in the exhaust stoke, but "true" TDC is on the compression stroke." This is from here: http://www.auditmypc.com/acronym/TDC.asp Also on this site where a thorough explanation of the workings of a four stroke engine is given TDC is only used to describe the top position of the piston on the compression stroke. This is here: http://techni.tachemie.uni-leipzig.de/otto/otto_g0_eng.html And finaly this: "True top dead center occurs when both the intake and exhaust valve are closed when the piston is at TDC. This is technically the end of the compression stroke and the beginning of the power stroke." This is from: http://www.hotcamsinc.com/instructions/Hot%20Cams%20YZ426%20Camshaft%20Install%20Intructions.pdf I think that maybe one of the first chapter of "basic four stroke Gas Engine 101 stuff" should point out that the exact meaning of TDC does'nt seem to be unanimous and that if some people use it to describe the top most position of the piston on any stroke, others prefer to use it only to describe the top most position of a piston on the compression stroke. I would be interested to know what other members think of this.

It would indeed be prudent to check it visually - while the engine is running (is it beginning to wobble?) - and manually (push and pull) - when the engine is stopped - evey day for a couple of week. I suspect you're doing that already. After that maybe check the torque with a torque wrench once in a while. If the torque wrench clicks at 120 ft/pds without the bolt moving = all is well. If the bolt moves BEFORE the torque wrench clicks, I would then remove the bolt, smear some red Locktite on it and retorque at 140 ft-pds. Only my opinion.

There are a few different methods. I like very much the Vise Grip chain wrench. I used it for holding the crank pulley and for holding the camshaft pulleys while removing and retorquing. You only have to use part of the old cambelt, with a piece of duct tape, to protect the cam pulleys. The beauty of this tool is it's short handle (8 inches) that can easily be made to catch on something solid while you keep both your hands on your work. Yuu set it and you let it go. It worked perfectly for me. Just my experience.

Read this piece on proper tire inflation pressure by the AAA. They also seem to advocate higher pressure than recommended up to the max tire inflation pressure as marked on the tire's side. http://www.csaa.com/global/articledetail/0,1398,1004010306%257C2038,00.html