I am putting a new timing belt on my 92 Civic DX with its stock D15B7 engine, and I'm having trouble confirming how to set my timing.

Basically, my question surmounts to: Why do I have conflicting timing marks all over the place? Is it so that the same parts of the engine can be aligned for the timing when used in different applications? Also, with all the different marks, which ones are right for me?

My Haynes manual says to use the mark on my crank sprocket lined up with the small arrow on the engine block and then to line up the cam sprocket. (Here the manual is vague. The top half has the "UP" and two lines that can be made level with the top of the head. But then there is also the mark on the bottom half that can be lined up with the arrow looking mark below it.)
Which should be used. (They might even mark the same position?)

Then finally, a lot of people online are suggesting that you line up the single mark on the crank's pulley with the timing cover's sights that let you look down two marks to align that pulley's one line mark.


So far, I put the new belt on as was described in my manual, using the crank sprocket mark and engine block mark along with the single bottom mark and arrow on the cam sprocket. I saw that when the cam is lined up and I look at where the crank pulley's single mark is... it is way off by and inch or two. Why is that off when my sprocket and block are on target? Shouldn't they both confirm the same position?

It doesn't idle very smoothly now, so...

Thanks for any input. I can get pictures if needed.

 

Did you reinstall the small metal rectangular key into the slot of the crank pulley and crankshaft? This is needed to position the crank pulley correctly.



With the crankshaft pulley installed, the white TDC1 mark on the crank pulley should align with the pointer and simultaneously the camshaft pulley should also be positioned at TDC1. These diagrams may help:

 

I'll go back and check this, but it seemed like the crank sprocket reading TDC according to the arrow on the oil pump didn't equal the timing cover's pointer being lined up with the crank pulley's TDC groove. And yes, the woodrow key, the small rectangular one, was installed on the crank pulley.

I do think my timing is off, so I'll go back and check things, hopefully I just made a mistake and those two TDC marks do go together. Thanks and I'll let you know what I find out.

 

ok easy way to do it i just did mine today make shure num 1 cyl tdc then make shure the cam gear were marked up is up its really easy took me like 20 min to do