Timing belt

I started working on my timing belt yesterday, I was following Dwayne’s excellent procedure, the only problem is that Dwayne’s car is an 87 while mine is an 85 so far the only difference I have found is the marks on the cam gear, the 87 has a indention on it and mine does not. I think mine is marked on the inside of the gear with a pill shaped make. Can anyone confirm this?

Sounds right, can you get a photo to post?

Here is a document that Wally P. created, perhaps this is for your year?:
www.928oc.org/pdf/T-Belt-1.pdf

Stan would it be alright to e-mail you the picture, I can't figure out how to post it.

denhamfly;5573 wrote: Stan would it be alright to e-mail you the picture, I can't figure out how to post it.

Sure, you can send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

denhamfly;5570 wrote: I started working on my timing belt yesterday, I was following Dwayne’s excellent procedure, the only problem is that Dwayne’s car is an 87 while mine is an 85 so far the only difference I have found is the marks on the cam gear, the 87 has a indention on it and mine does not. I think mine is marked on the inside of the gear with a pill shaped make. Can anyone confirm this?

Hi. I have familiarity with 85 and 86 cars and might be able to help you.

USA 32V car, right?

The 85 cam gears should indeed have tiny indentations that face the engine.
Looks almost like a cut, the width of a saw kerf. They align with marks on the rear backing covers when engine is positioned at O/T mark (top dead center, cylinder 1).

If engine is positioned at 45 deg BTDC, which is the desired "safe/recoverable" position when removing and replacing the belt, then the little marks are not visible IIRC!

Will see if I can find pictures to help you, or threads where I've previously posted them.


It would be most helpful for you to post pictures of each gear, as well as the harmonic balancer while at TDC to give us a baseline. Am assuming the belt is still on the car.

If not, post pictures of that stuff as it now is postioned.