Alright, it's been a while.

I've been at work all day helping to get my friend's 1996 Ranger 2.3 back on the road after the timing belt broke.

I followed all the directions I could find, both on line, and what came with the new belt/tensioner. Lined up the diamonds on the cam and oil pump, and lined up the crank at tdc before putting the belt on.

The issue is, it's not starting, and it's sucking in through the tailpipe, and blowing out the intake.


HELP!?! Please

 

Are you sure you are not 180 degrees out? If not, you have bent valves.

 

Pretty sure, there's only 1 diamond on the cam gear, correct?

Here's what I did: Turned the crank shaft untill the key was straight up, and the little tiny diamond lined up with the slot on the metal bracket, then set turned the cam untill its diamond lined up with the arrow at the 4:30ish position. Then set the oil pump to line up with it's mark at the 12:00 position, and then had to try 3 times to get the belt on there without anything moving.

Every 2nd crank rotation the marks all line up again.

 

Okay, I see on the cam gear both a diamond and an arrow. I lined it up on the diamond. I'm guessing I should have probably used the arrow instead?

 

If that is 180 degrees from the other mark, and nothing clinks when you turn the cam, you have your answer methinks....

 

Triangle to triangle on the cam, diamond to diamond on the oil pump.
Both gears have the triangle and diamond. The diamond will be at the top of the cam gear when the triangles are lined up.

 

You won't bend the valves on a non-modified 2.3 Lima. If the followers have been changed, and the lift fiddled with, I guess you could have interference, but normally not on that engine.