I'm replacing the timing belt and just want to make sure I didn't screw up the camshaft timing. I had TDC on both the crank and cam but took the belt off to redo stuff and the cam moved. With the belt back the cam arrow is facing down when I align the crank to the cover mark but if I rotate the crank counter clockwise a couple of turns both hit TDC. May be old age and inexperience but shouldn't the cam always be at TDC when the crank is at TDC?

I read the DIY on resetting the cam timing but the instructions say to align the cam marks to the head after removing the belt and pulley. I'm confused - how do you align the marks if they are on the cam pulley that is no longer installed?

 

The crank will turn twice for every one turn of the cam. So that's OK.

The arrow is sorta facing upwards, but the REAL timing marks are little dimples out at the teeth of the timing sprocket. They line up even with the top of the head (or the top of the plastic shroud between the sprocket & head).

I don't know what they mean by that, but the camshaft sprocket has to be bolted onto the camshaft when you line up the marks. Maybe they mean the tensioner pulley is loosened??

 

Thanks - that is what I was hoping to have confirmed.