97 civic rough/no idle, just changed timing belt, 72 troub..

Hello, I just changed the timing belt of a 97 civic dx hatch, we
screwed up the timing the first time(crankshaft pully moved) adjusted
it again and set the line on the pulley to the arrow on the block and
the up arrow was set for the camshaft at the top. this was double
checked to make sure it was accurate.

On reassembly valve clearences were adjusted to factory spec.

I took a timing light to it and at ~2.5-3k rpm the timing lines up
with the red mark on the pulley. The gas can be held and it'll keep
running as long as the rpms are ~2k or higher, any lower and it stalls
out. Went for a short drive, car is totally gutless till ~5-6k rpm and
even then it's weak.

when we got everything back together and started the car the check
engine light came on, jumped the ecu and got a 72 code (Misfire on
cylinder #2)



I'm thinking at this point that I must have made an error when the
timing belt was put on and the timing is off there. If that's not the
case then I have no idea why it's idle is so bad.

I reset the ECU by pulling the battery connectors for a good 10min or
so, next time it started the 72 code came back shortly.


Any ideas how to get the car to idle correctly and what might be going
on?

ChaoticEntity DeleteThis @gmail.com wrote:
> Hello, I just changed the timing belt of a 97 civic dx hatch, we
> screwed up the timing the first time(crankshaft pully moved) adjusted
> it again and set the line on the pulley to the arrow on the block and
> the up arrow was set for the camshaft at the top. this was double
> checked to make sure it was accurate.

you need to check it again after the belt has been tensioned - the
symptoms say you're out.

>
> On reassembly valve clearences were adjusted to factory spec.
>
> I took a timing light to it and at ~2.5-3k rpm the timing lines up
> with the red mark on the pulley. The gas can be held and it'll keep
> running as long as the rpms are ~2k or higher, any lower and it stalls
> out. Went for a short drive, car is totally gutless till ~5-6k rpm and
> even then it's weak.

timing belt is set wrong. the cam gear is not just "up", but two marks
must align with the head surface.


>
> when we got everything back together and started the car the check
> engine light came on, jumped the ecu and got a 72 code (Misfire on
> cylinder #2)
>
>
>
> I'm thinking at this point that I must have made an error when the
> timing belt was put on and the timing is off there. If that's not the
> case then I have no idea why it's idle is so bad.
>
> I reset the ECU by pulling the battery connectors for a good 10min or
> so, next time it started the 72 code came back shortly.
>
>
> Any ideas how to get the car to idle correctly and what might be going
> on?
>

be logical - it worked before the belt change, it doesn't work after.
cam timing is the most likely error.