I have a 98 civic ex sohc v-tech d16y8. I know the firing order is 1,3,4,2 and starts #1 on the timing belt side (drivers side) but my question is which post on the cap is #1 is it the bottom one or the left hand side one when looking straight at it from the passanger side. Then does it also rotate clockwise?


is it like this? (bottom post)
----4
--3---2
----1


or like this (LH side)
----3
--1---4
----2


Please help me out soon i just need to get this right my car is currently on the LH side style and runs but the timing is a about 0 Deg. and turned all the way to advance it as much as possable and it starts hard and fluds out easy when cold. I think this may have to do with it. to my understanding it should be the bottom post but im not sure (#1). Thanks for your help before hand.

 

Honda engines turn counterclockwise. There should be a mark on the dizzy for the #1 cylinder plug wire.

 

Is it counterclockwise from the rh side (timing belt side).

 

Yes, so clockwise from the dizzy side.

 

k that is what i though, Thanks for the help what is the mark for the #1 cyl in the cap look like there is a circle with a c in it and one with an a in it. Or is there a nother easy way to figure it out.

 

The circle with the C in it is the TDC mark for the #1 cylinder, I believe. So hook that one up to #1, then work clockwise around the dizzy (from the cap side).

 

that is the way mine is but my timing is off by like 12 degrees or more and my dist is rotated as far as it can and its at 0 not +12 like it should be. Do you think the timing belt just jumped or what then. Thanks for your help so much man.

 

It sounds like your belt is off like two or three teeth. But if it were off that far, it would definitely be noticeable at idle, which throws me a little. I'd probably try resetting it.

 

how hard is it to reset it. ive never done timing before and dont have a timing light.

 

It's not that hard to do if you know a lil bout engines. If the belt is off a few teeth then you will have to pull the timming belt cover off so you can get too it. That is the hardest thing to do since it is usually a pretty tight holeand you have to tear down other stuff to get to. After that you have marks to line up on your pulley to a mark somewhere else on your engine. If you can take a look at a hanes repair manual or another brand will work they have pictures that can show you where your marks are to line up. A repair manual like that can become quiet handy when doing repairs such as this. I get one with every vehicle I purchase with the exception of the car I have now because they don't have one yet. The manual usually cost about $10.00 and well worth it. Once the marks are lined up and you have everything back together you should be able to rotate your dist. to fine tune it. If you go into it like that may be good idea to go ahead and change your timming belt expecially if it jumped.