OK so im at a loss here so figured i would come to the experts! have a jdm h22a it is not in the car yet which makes this a little easier but point is when i got it the timing belt was off of the cams. so i am trying to get it back in time and close this chapter in the book. i got my pops to help me get top dead center. so thats good but the cams have an arrow on each one of them do i just move them untill they point to 12 o'clock? and once i did that one closest to the intake is not quite sitting at 12 more like 10 or 11 so how do i fix this and what else has to be done to get this in time?

 

the cam gears should say "UP" somewhere on each one of them. Turn the cams until the UP is up on each cam gear. There should be little notches on the side of the cam gear... there should be like 3, and two of them are directly in line with each other, essentially making a line all the way across the gear. When the UP mark is up, this line should be parallel to the top of the head.

 

but thats what im saying is that when i turn them so the arrows are up one of them is a little off does this matter? if so how do i fix?

 

You need to remove the timing belt, set the cams and crank at TDC1, and reinstall the belt. These diagrams for the B16a2 engine may help:

 

thanks for the diagrams ron

 

If the engine had been run without the cams and crank precisely synchronized at TDC, then engine damage may have occurred.

 

i got a question for ya ron. ok i got the timing belt on and all marks are lined up just fine now but your last post scares me as to installing the engine and it may not work.so when i got it the timing belt was not broken but was just off of the cam gears. i dont know why? but is there any way that i can check for engine failure before i put this thing in or is it just easyier to put it in and start her up and listen for knocks and stuff?

 

Sorry, I meant to alert rather than alarm you. Properly install a new timing belt and then do a compression test on each of the cylinders (see forum DIY section).