After Timing belt change now I have rough idle... UGH

[dfphoto]

Hello group, I finished my timing belt change the other day I started it and it ran okay but I had to deal with the RAT hole in my heater hose so I worked on that yesterday. Today, I decided to take a short drive and after the car warmed up then it started idling poorly...

I want to ask two questions:

Last week when the hole in my heater hose was discovered, I drove 2.2 miles and the temp. got really high the last 3 blocks, I decided to keep going but I never ran the engine hard 1/4 throttle. I did the timing belt and I checked the timing 2x spinning the crank manually and it came up good, the engine revs normally but once the engine got to normal temp. it idled very rough and stalled...

Wondering if you think the timing is off and that means taking the covers off again and adjusting if it's off or do you think something could have happened when the motor got hot. Or could it be a bit of both... What should I do?
Appreciate your help this real nightmare.

[avguy]

Here are the 2 suspects, based on what you posted.

1) Blown head gasket. You can do a quick (but not comprehensive) test, by checking for bubbles in the coolant tank. Smelling the exhaust at the tailpipe also works, for someone who knows what burning coolant smells like.

2) The water pump bolts were not torqued properly, the pump moved, and the timing jumped. If that's the case, you don't want to do the test described in #1 above, or run it at all, until the timing is checked. If Murphy was sleeping, and the timing only went off by a tooth or two, you might have gotten away with no valves being bent (yet).

So the first thing you need to do is pull the timing covers, and have your fingers and toes crossed that you will see the timing off by only one or two teeth.

[dfphoto]

Yes lucked out my timing was off a tooth, I realize now that when I was checking the timing originally I was looking down on the car and didn't notice the teeth were off, I had to put my chin on the fender to see it was off.

I am almost done need to put the covers and engine mount on will do tomorrow.

So after this BS of finishing and starting I learned two valuable lessons....

1. When you are checking the timing and have your car just before the belt slides on start at the bottom then GO UP THE RIGHT SIDE the left side has a spring and it will always be clockwise off about 2-3 teeth.

2. I put a breaker bar with 17mm and 2x4 piece of wood to hold the left cam in even position, then I placed the belt on and ran it down the left side I moved the tensioner pyramid to the u shaped depression spun the crank 2 turns and it was still good. Then loosened the water pump re-adjusted to the left pyramid and tightened then spun the crank two times again and lucky me, all good... tomorrow I put the mount and covers on new coolant and I should be 100% good!!!

[dfphoto]

Have to say the hardest part of the timing belt is A. getting the pump loose and putting the belt on...

[dfphoto]

Damn today I was ready to finish this and it took me 2 hours to get the upper plastic cover on I do not understand what the hell in the end I had to pull the lower right side out it was going under the lower cover... OH My God... the covers and putting the belt on were the worst... But got damn the car runs well now... I'm very happy and upset with myself for missing the timing mark issue... This car is done for now... oil change but that's it for a long while I hope...

[dfphoto]

Took it for a spin today and I have to say it runs 100% great, smoother than before and the motor sound is much better not sure if it was the oil change or not...