02 2.4L timing belt problem

[ronwins3]

For preventative maintenance, I changed the timing belt on the 2002 2.4 Liter. Now, won't idle (stalls), unless holding down gas pedal part way. Engine overheated within 15 minutes. Acceleration and high rpms very good (actually exceptional). Overheats even before cooling fans senses high temp. I was quite thorough with alinging the timing marks during installation, following the book. Haven't rechecked timing marks (it'll require tearing it all back down I imajine) No engine warning lights coming on. Can timing be off a tooth? And could this causes such overheating? Thanks Guys....please H E L P !!! Ron.

[bobs turbo pt]

hi ron, i think you might be off one tooth!!

[Mean Green]

Sounds like off of a tooth. Did you replace the waterpump, too, while you were in there?

[slartyblarfast]

Did you bleed the air out of the cooling system? There is a bleeder nipple below the radiator cap. And it does sound like timing issue.

[ronwins3]

Thanks guys for the input. I'll check the bleeding deal. No, I didn't change the water pump-the reason being that to do that, you have to remove the timing belt back covers, which requires removing the camshaft(s) sprockets. We were running out of time for the use of the garage space. (And we had a new pump right there with us). Actually, the hardest part of getting to the timing belt was finding the clearance to remove the engine mount bracket. This bracket is a bohemoth cast iron plate that looks like it was designed to mount a belt sander on it for a production shop! There wasn't enough clearance to the frame to let the bracket out due to it's long deep feet that set in toward the block (where the bolts go). A friend at Midas suggested jacking up the engine higher to get more clearance...that worked. I mean, the passenger side of engine had to get lifted 3-4 inches higher than where it normally sits. With the engine mount disconnected and the lower torque strut disconnected, you can easily move the engine up/down, fwd/back, but NOT left/right while the driver side mount holds fast. Anyway, an associate of mine told me that the timing being off can very well cause overheating. Unfortunately, you can't see the TDC mark with the crankshaft pulley still on, and I don't think you can see the mark on the block with the lower outer cover on. Getting the upper cover off is pretty easy, to see the cam sprocket timing marks. There should be a way to find TDC without seeing the crank marks, right? If it is off a tooth, it'll have to be torn down all the way anyway to correct it. I'm a little baffled with the marks on the camshaft sprockets. It has this big stamp on each sprocket the says "UP" with arrows. But both the sprockets are marked on two spots (precisely 180 degrees across from each other). Now, since the the marks only line up each 2 revolutions of the crankshaft, does it matter if the "UP" is up, or if the "UP" is upside down? (I saw them line up both ways while turning the crank). Any info is great, will keep you posted...Thanks!