Crankshaft Pulleys

[i218127]

My replacement engine has some kind of "boot leg" crankshaft pulley on it. There are no timing marks, "V" cuts or raised lines on it. The assembly came off a 1990 VIN "H" 5 speed 1.3L engine. After discovery, I installed a 1992 pulley on it and it times SLOW, even though the marks line up at 10 degrees. Adjusted it by eye and ear (more advance) to run better. I have the following questions:

1. Are the two pulleys different ? 1990 VS 1992.
2. How do you correctly time a 1990 EFI engine ? Timing signal grounded or not?
3. Optimal idle speed should be set to what RPM at 10 degrees timing?

Any information will be helpful.....I know... I know... I should have checked the pulley before now, but didn't need to...It just ran great !!! (I don't have power steering or anything except the ALT running off the engine)

[TominMO]

It might be timing slow because what you think is the 10-degree mark is actually TDC. My 1990 pulley has two marks, for 0 and 10 BTDC. If you line up the camshaft pulley so that the two marks are at 12 and 3 o'clock, that should be TDC on the crank pulley mark. Then hopefully you will see another mark (cut) just to the right of that, and that would be the 10 BTDC mark.

Also, could your timing belt be off a tooth?

[i218127]

Thanks for the info, but I see no marks of any kind on this pulley...nothing !!! No marks no cuts no raises...nothing. I took the old one completely off the engine. I only have the 92 pulley on it now. Really sure the timing belt is on correctly...had a mechanic friend of mine help me with it. That doesn't mean that we both didn't make a mistake. Will the 92 pulley have two marks or just one.

[TominMO]

I apologize. The info I just gave you about crank pulley marks pertains to my Aspire, not a Festy. And my Festy has a gen2 B6, so I can't run out and refer to it.

However, you can make a mark on it for TDC, with a file and white paint. Get the two cam pulley marks to 12 and 3 o'clock; observe the crank pulley, and make a mark on it where the scale on the lower timing belt cover is at TDC. And 10 degrees BTDC will be to the left (counter-clockwise) of that by about 1/2 inch or so. When you do time it, you do need to ground the one-wire STI terminal to the engine. It's either a white or black plastic female connector, near the ignition parts. I just permanently stuck a male spade connector in it so I can identify it quickly, then run a wire with two alligator clips from it to the motor.

You could also time it by vacuum. Ten degrees will be about 18 degrees of vacuum; 13 degrees will be about 22. Still need to ground the STI wire.

Edit: had to edit the above instructions because Festys do it backwards from Aspires. You should have one mark on the Festy pulley, because the 0-10 range is on the lower timing belt cover; Aspire pulleys have two marks on the pulley to show the 0-10 range, and the timing belt cover just has a pointer.

[i218127]

See EFI Distributosr on another thread.