So the engine has to be either + or - 1 degree bdtc. I have searched and read that your only supposed to use Toyota belts, mines either a Bando or Continental.. I HIGHLY doubt thats the problem. This is the 2nd head job, so the heads have been decked twice. all the bearings are good in the tensioner and the other belt guide. two questions, what will cause this and will the engine run advanced a half tooth?

 

So many threads on this...
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...th-off-217729/
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...erfect-185339/
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...rectly-182852/
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...estion-118098/

Heads decked twice? Why? No, don't answer that. It shouldn't really matter anyway. Just know this, it's only necessary when it's needed to correct minor warpage or surface defects. BY NO MEANS is it a must with every head gasket change. Perhaps it should be done once in a heads service life, like after the first head gasket failure. Any more than that would generally be for the purposes of raising the compression ratio. Which will be the case with yours. Again, no real cause for concern there though just yet. It likely isn't going to be significantly higher. Depends on how much material has been removed of course.

You've got one thing right , however. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT BEING A NON-TOYOTA BELT!

Hydraulic tensioner?

If not, see this thread.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...g-belt-217482/

Bolts vs. studs? No matter, both work fine. Makes no difference in the timing belt installation procedure.

Another myth to avoid, timing belts stretching. Timing belts don't stretch EVER. That's one aspect in which they're superior to chains. They do snap on occasion though.

 

You have to remove ALL of the slack in the belt BETWEEN the cam sprockets, which usually requires aligning the driver side sprocket, then cocking the passenger side sprocket @ 1/2 tooth to the right & slipping the belt on, then pulling that pax side sprocket back in alignment. trying to keep them both on the alignment mark while putting on the belt usually results in 1/2 tooth of slack under the upper idler pulley.

 

hey thanks mudhippy and tnrabbit, ill try what you said about the cam sprockets. Im just assuming that the heads were decked twice, i had them done a few weeks ago and it had the head gasket recall in 1998. I guess they could of just put a long block in for that...

If it makes any difference I used all D&J Rock products from engnbldr, head bolts and washers.

 

I'm not so certain about this...When I was working out at Toyota, the master tech that I apprenticed under and I found more than one that had stretched. In fact, I see it quite often on 4 cylinder camry's. By the time the belt is due to be changed, you can hear it slapping around slightly. I'm not saying your wrong, I'm just pointing out my experience. I've heard both side's of this argument multiple times. I believe they are supposed to stretch to a certain degree.