odie

is it possible to reverse install the top cam belt roller/gear?

I've been trying to find TDC on my 16V and I'm having no luck.

I've gotten the notch on the flywheel lined up with the window underneath the car. But when I look thru the plug hole on the housing for the cam roller/distributor cap I can't find the timing mark that is supposed to be on the cogged roller/gear.

I've moved the engine back and forth and still can't find the mark. Rotated the engine around and back to the flywheel mark incase it was TDC on the wrong stroke.

I'm beginning to think that maybe the roller was installed backwards and the mark is on the inside edge and not visible thru the hole.

odie

bump? where is the mark supposed to be? On the top of the tooth or in between teeth? What's it look like? A line, dot, arrow, notch?

dlr944

If you can't see the white notch on the sprocket, try removing the distributor cover. If the white notch does not line up with the notch on the rear of the cam cover, then your timing is off. Probably impossible to install the cam shaft sprocket on backwords - only fits one way.

Charlotte944

I know this is an 'S' version, but isn't the timing mark window on the upper portion of the bell housing?

Another way to time the engine is turn the engine over until the marks on the cam gear and the housing align. Then check for the mark on the flywheel. If you do not see the mark on the fly wheel, turn the engine one more revolution, align the marks at the car gear and check the fly wheel marks again.

odie

Apparently the timing mark on the cam gear is only on the front, not oon the top. So WHY did Porsche put the viewing hole on the top?

I removed the dist cap and upper bolts from the belt cover and pulled it back some. I just rotated the engine until I found the mark and painted a white mark on the TOP of the gear so I could see it when looking through the sighting hole.

I'm guessing the NA and 16V use the same gear, Porsche just didn't bother to re-mark the gear.

zakk

The cam gear is keyed, so you can't really install it backwards. Also remember that the flywheel TDC marker(s) line up TWICE per one rotation of the cam gear.
When I did my belts I scared myself after putting it all back together by lining up the flywheel mark and then checking the cam gear, and I thought I was 180 degrees off

Danno

One tip, ALWAYS line up the flywheel notch with the notch at the bottom of the bell-housing! That sight window on the side of block will always throw you off and is susceptible to parallax errors as well.

"Also remember that the flywheel TDC marker(s) line up TWICE per one rotation of the cam gear. "

Exactly! Your cam-gear is probably 180-degrees off. Turn over the engine another 360-degrees and you should be fine.