I installed the timing belt on my vtec-e with great ease since I'm used to the more of a bitch LS motors, but after getting it all tensioned nicely, I went to put on the side motor mount to find that the belt was against it...

I figured that maybe I made it a bit too tight so I loosened it a bit, and the clearance got a little bit better.

I then put the old tensioner next to the new one, and the new one is a bit bigger. I think maybe that is the problem.

Tommorrow I'm going to grind down the mount bracket a little, and I think that should clear up this problem totally without me buying a different tensioner.

Is this a common D series problem? I've never had a problem in any way like this with the LS timing belts I've replaced...

 

Added some pics...

 

And before I install this motor...

The timing mark I'm supposed to use on this motor is the bottom one on the cam gear... correct?

I figured the timing marks would be the same for this one as the Z6 since this shares the same timing belt/waterpump/tensioner w/the z6. But I know I could be wrong.

 

To add to this saga of my stupidity..

After looking up a shop manual for my car, the Z1 timing marks are the two along the sides of the cam gear, not the mark on the bottom of it....Argh...at least I figured this out before it was in my car and installed.

On a better note...

I painted my valve cover, and it turned out real nice!




Too bad the engine is still sitting on the garage floor w/o a timing belt that isn't 120k miles old to put onto it. The smokey motor will just have to last a little longer.

 

What is the tension on the belt like? How much slack in it? My only thought is maybe you have it too tight?

 

I think so too. Maybe it's the wrong part; not all D's are the same.
Good Luck

 

I forgot to update this. The timing belt on the Z1 is different than any other D series motor. The water pump and tensioner are the same as a Z6. The head is a bit taller on a Z6 which is reflected in the top timing belt cover being different on the Z6 compared to the Z1.

Later that night I installed the OEM timing belt I was attempting to replace, and it fit perfect, which showed me, the z6 belt was the wrong size.

I don't think other D series motors have this, but I'm not sure.

I was replacing the oil pan gasket, and I noticed this motor has a baffle incorporated into the oil pan, and has a girdle on the bottom end:

Girdle:


Baffled oily pan:



This motor seems really clean inside, so hopefully it'll make a great replacement for my smokey 241k miles Z1 I'm removing from the car.