How to align the oil pump timing marks for the SOHC 2.4L (if it was disturbed)

Hey guys,

Came across a very informative post on a different forum today. If you go about changing the timing belt on your 2.4L SOHC engine, and, for whatever reason, you manage to spin the oil pump sprocket with the timing belt removed, you cannot simply rely on the timing marks alone to put it back where it was (unless you were very observant when you made your mistake!). The reason for this is because the rear engine balance shaft (driven by the oil pump) rotates twice for every single revolution of the pump sprocket. If you made a mistake and threw this oil pump + BS shaft out of time, fear not! Below is how to put it back in time:

Obvious requirements for this tip to work / apply to you:
1. You own a 2.4L SOHC galant engine with the rear balance shaft still installed.
2. You positioned the #1 cylinder at TDC before you removed the timing belt.

You can "feel" the balance shaft's influence on the oil pump as you turn the oil pump sprocket. If you align the oil pump timing marks and the oil pump sprocket feels like it wants to rotate and "run away" from the marks, it's 180 degrees out of time. Rotate it 180 degrees and try again, This time, you will feel the sprocket "want" to head towards the timing marks. When you feel this, you have got the timing correct.

Hope this helps somebody! Good luck with your timing belt replacement! Cheers :icon_biggrin:

You cant just rely on your senses to do t-belt job. There's a very easy way to do it which is used by Mitsu mechanics.

On the back of the block there's this 14mm bolt. Behind this bolt is the oil pump balance shaft with a hole in it. That hole comes around every 2 full turns of the oil pump sprocket. You line up the oil pump mark and then you stick a screw driver in that hole. If it goes half way in then its not good. Turn the oil pump sprocket another full revolution, try to push the screw driver in, it should go all the way. Once its in all the way, line up the marks and install the t-belt. Dont forget to remove the screw driver and reinstall the bolt.

I'm saying this is the correct way to do it in case you have to install a brand new oil pump that is hard to turn, because it doesnt have a few thousand miles on it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mko

You cant just rely on your senses to do t-belt job. There's a very easy way to do it which is used by Mitsu mechanics.

On the back of the block there's this 14mm bolt. Behind this bolt is the oil pump balance shaft with a hole in it. That hole comes around every 2 full turns of the oil pump sprocket. You line up the oil pump mark and then you stick a screw driver in that hole. If it goes half way in then its not good. Turn the oil pump sprocket another full revolution, try to push the screw driver in, it should go all the way. Once its in all the way, line up the marks and install the t-belt. Dont forget to remove the screw driver and reinstall the bolt.

I'm saying this is the correct way to do it in case you have to install a brand new oil pump that is hard to turn, because it doesnt have a few thousand miles on it.

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that way is actually the way the mitsu book says to do it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mko

I'm saying this is the correct way to do it in case you have to install a brand new oil pump that is hard to turn, because it doesnt have a few thousand miles on it.

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Ahh, good point. I didn't consider that a brand new pump would be harder to turn. Props.

if you mess up there is another way. rotate the oil pump in increments of 180 degree then release it. It will either have a tendency to go away from the timing mark, or back towards the mark. Do this rotating it clockwise and anticlockwise. It will be pretty obvious once you do it. I use this method because then I don't have to worry about that stupid screw driver.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by briggs

if you mess up there is another way. rotate the oil pump in increments of 180 degree then release it. It will either have a tendency to go away from the timing mark, or back towards the mark. Do this rotating it clockwise and anticlockwise. It will be pretty obvious once you do it. I use this method because then I don't have to worry about that stupid screw driver.

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any video guides there guys? or any sites with pictures on step by step procedure? i dont have any experience yet in doing this and i dont have any choice i dont have money to pay a mechanic. what i only have is this forum.lol.

No need for video, use MKO's advice

On the back of the block there's this 14mm bolt. Behind this bolt is the oil pump balance shaft with a hole in it. That hole comes around every 2 full turns of the oil pump sprocket. You line up the oil pump mark and then you stick a screw driver in that hole. If it goes half way in then its not good. Turn the oil pump sprocket another full revolution, try to push the screw driver in, it should go all the way. Once its in all the way, line up the marks and install the t-belt. Dont forget to remove the screw driver and reinstall the bolt.

The 14mm plug is below the wire for the O2 sensor. There is a poor picture of this in the Haynes manual on page 2A-9, figure 7.15b and it is discussed in step by step detail on page 2A-13 section 60 timing belt