94 850 timing mark questions.

dear1700 · Post by **dear1700** » 09 Aug 2011, 20:13

OK, Lets just start that I planned on doing this timing belt change quickly and easily. I have changed belts numerous times on B230's.

The belt I got at the local parts store...however...proved to be the wrong one

. It was a gates T217 belt, but only had 144 teeth on it...not 148. I found this out 3 hrs later trying different ways to get this belt on. So what I need to know is, is the "M" stamp on the cam sprockets the same on all or can be different. I have seen lots of pics online and I know my crank is right on the money, my exhaust cam it correct. Its just my intake cam, when I line it up with "the mark", the letter M is not where it is on the pictures I see. She cranks over good by hand, but its just one of those things you want to be 110% sure.

Thanks for any and all assistance!

Post by **erikv11** » 09 Aug 2011, 22:11

I don't know specifically about the M mark but I can tell you I have read a lot of timing threads, and set the timing on an 850 many times including on head and engine swaps, and have never checked where the M mark is or read about others paying attention to it. So I think you can not be concerned about it.

The notches on the sprockets, the parallel notches in the back of the cams, the opposite triangles on the fronts. As long as a couple or all of those are good when the crank is on the mark, and the engine turns over smoothly by hand and the marks stay there return to their positions, it is good to go.

Post by **charlyW** » 10 Aug 2011, 05:25

The "M" isn't necessary on both cam sprockets there will be a line mark these need to light up with the cut outs in the plastic belt cover

dear1700 · Post by **dear1700** » 10 Aug 2011, 18:50

UPDATE: Thanks for the confidence, yes I did line everything up right. Those marks on the cams are awfully faint and you just kind cross your fingers that 1st time you turn the key. Everything runs good and it even seems more peppy then before, prolly because the old belt was a bit stretched and threw the cams off.

So in conclusion, yes the M stamp is variable. they probably just stamped it where ever they wanted too.

I made sure I white painted my marks for the next time I dive in!