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I recently got a Mitsubishi L200 Trojan K74 4D56 2006, and after getting through its MOT, I decided to do full service and change belts etc. I followed instructions from the workshop manual http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Mitsubishi/L200/Manuals/ and checked with youtube videos, when I removed the lower timing belt cover, I found the mark on the crankshaft not lining up with the others, but assumed that this would be ok ... Then I noticed the spring on the tensioner for the timing belt B (balance belt) had not been fitted correctly, and although the speedo had 130000 miles on it, it looked like the original belt??? So refitted new belts and new tensioner, and all went ok for a couple of miles, was just about to accelerate in 5th and the engine cut out. As I had not changed the fuel filter and was on my second tank of bio, assumed that it was a fuel problem, changed fuel filter, unblocked two injectors that were clogged with rust, but still nothing, called out RAC man and was told my timing was out, as I had back pressure at the air intake ... As I had been unsure of timing marks I agreed, I have now spent over two weeks of trying to find the right mark. The marks on the cam, injector and balancer I'm sure of, however I'm confused about the crank, there is a plate with timing marks inbetween crank sprocket B (back one for balancer) and sprocket A and initially was the only mark I was aware of, however I have now found a small notch in the back of sprocket B and tried to set timing to this, I have also found out that there may be a multiplier on one of the balancers (3 possible positions) and the crank turns twice to the cam, giving another 2 possible config, I have tried both and nothing, however if I turn the crank 240 degrees, 2x rotation of balancer the engine splutters as if about to start, it's the closest I can get, am I missing something, obv I'm no mechanic but can follow instructions ...

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    Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair! While I realize this is water under the bridge now, if the engine is running just fine before you start the work, it should work just fine after if you've done the work correctly. Since it was running just fine for a couple of miles after you put the new belt on, I'd suggest you had done the alignment part of the work correctly, but probably messed up somewhere else, (ie: the tensioner you thought might have been wrong in the first place). I'd go back to how the engine was in the first place. You'll be lucky if the engine isn't trashed though. Nov 16, 2019 at 19:43
  • Hello, thanks for the welcome, if I could go back to the way things were I'd do that, I've been trying to figure that bit out, before I'd started, everything apart from the crank was definitely lined up with markings, it is practically impossible to see the timing mark on the rear of the sprocket, and the only way I can tell is by using a small screwdriver and feeling the notch, I'm aware there may be other damage but am unable to diagnose, i.e. Compression test, with the timing in the wrong position, as far as I've read the engine is a non interference, and am living in hope just now, thanks.
    – BadTiming
    Nov 17, 2019 at 4:15
  • Does this look familiar? If this is accurate (looks like yours) the timing mark should be between A & B, and not at the back of B. Nov 17, 2019 at 13:57
  • Thanks, yeah that's the one I tried at first, it was about 180 degrees out when i first changed the belt ... Then tried lining up with that one, in the video as he turns the crank there is another marking at the back he has highlighted, I spoke with an ex Mitsubishi mechanic on Friday and he said to ignore that one and use the one at the back.
    – BadTiming
    Nov 17, 2019 at 17:17
  • Just now I'm wondering as I've gone clockwise two or three times on the crank if there is another multiplier between the crank and the cam and I need to realign this ...
    – BadTiming
    Nov 17, 2019 at 17:20

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Maybe not the answer that I was looking for, but took the rocker cover off today, to find lots of broken rocker arms, before replacing have been advised to check the pistons are straight, this might take some time, if I ever get it back together again, will post result about timing...

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  • Sounds like the pistons have met the valves. Things that are usually damaged by this are the piston faces, valves and conrods but mostly the first two. It may be cheaper to get a 2nd hand engine than repairing the one you have. Nov 21, 2019 at 2:04
  • If the timing was that far out how did you manage to drive 5 miles? I'm surprised it even started being that far out.
    – Dan K
    Nov 21, 2019 at 15:23
  • I'm not sure how it got so bad, but I'm pretty sure that I didn't cause all that damage, I'm going to take the connecting rods out and if they look straight, hope the piston faces are ok. As two off the injectors were blocked it would seem that it could have been bad for a while, I'm honestly surprised and amazed that the engine sounded as good as it did after initial timing belt change, but there was a click just before the engine cut out and I'm guessing that was one of these rocker things breaking, I have seen YouTube videos of these engines running on 2 cylinders and still sounding ok ....
    – BadTiming
    Nov 22, 2019 at 13:38

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