I am about to cry. I love my car and when driving down the freeway it more or less died. Upon checking every possible thing, my cousin and I figured the timing belt slipped a few teeth and needs to be replaced. Upon doing so the engine, after back firing once or twice and the distributor being jiggled, will start but with no power and it shakes a lot. Is it possible that the timing belt is not installed correctly or could one of the valves or pistons be bent? If the first, does anyone have a diagram of how it is suppose to look other then what is in the Haynes book. And if the later, is there a way to check this without pulling everything apart? I am about $6 from being absolutely poor and I need my car running as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Julie

Thank you everyone for your comments. I am glad to hear that there is not a possibility for bent valves. I am hoping that we can reset the timing correctly. It is also possible the wires were installed incorrectly. And to answer the question, the whole distributor, plugs, wires, and coil were changed. The compression has also been tested. We plan on attacking it again tomorrow. I will update when I have more news.

The best timing belt diagram I've seen is from Three Fat Tigers:

http://www.threefattigers.com/Protocore/Vo...TimingMarks.htm

Those timing marks will only line up initially. They may or may not line up again. I think you should double check the timing belt installation.

Post back.

What has been done with the cap/rotor/plugs/wires? Maybe the wires were installed in the wrong order? I would check the timing with a light.

Anyone confirm he can't have bent some valves?? Does sound like bad timing. re-check!, and compression check too.

no bent valves - non interference

Here's a good diagram of the firing order: From the front the cylinders are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4. The dizzy is clockwise 1, 3, 4, 2. With #1 nearest the thermostat housing.