So i was looking at my timing belt, while it looks good, im not sure if its lined up (could be wrong). I see a dot and i see a white line marked on the cam gears, i know one of those are supposed to be lined up with the "dimples" on the metal cam gear cover, but is it the dot or the white line?

The dots are perfectly timed with my crank at 0 and its at TDC. Reason for me asking is because i have a slight misfire on cyl 1 and 2. And if the white line/grooves on the cams are supposed to line up with the metal cover with the white lines, then its off by about 2 teeth. Also, i think the exhaust cam is the same as the intake....so i guess for exhaust side i can line up the dot with the "dimple"

Can anyone tell me if im right...wrong...stupid. ive looked at instructions and it says the white dash marks, however with the exhaust side it wouldnt work...so im assuming the car is off with timing

 

Don't have much experience with the JZ but that looks wrong the lines on the cam gears are supposed to match the dimples on the backing plate. You 100% sure the crank pulley is set to the zero mark? If so I'd suspect the pulley has gone bad, rubber halves separated. Going by your image you are 4 teeth out don't think the engine will run like that.

From what I remember the dots are used as reference to marks on the timing belt.

edit - here is the service manual go to page 78. What year is your car?
https://www.97supraturbo.com/1997%20...ual/Engine.pdf

 

the crank was 100% at the 0 on the timing cover. bought the car like this, and yes it did drive. Im going to redo my timing though for sure. It has a slight misfire on cyl 1 and 2. So that may be the reason.

Edit - mines a 97.

 

The recessed dimple on the cam gear tooth is what lines up with the formed lines in the top of the cover. Not sure what those white lines are. Make sure you are on 0 lined up with the white timing line on the harmonic balancer. Some of the harmonic balancers have two lines, I have no explanation what the other line is for. Worst case if you can’t figure it out pull number one plug and roll the engine to make sure it’s at tdc, but that’s typically not necessary.

If all that lines up check the distributor timing by using a timing light and installing the jumper in the diagnostic port per the procedure. I can’t recall the two pins to jump since it’s been a while but somebody will chime in or look it up on here.

Poster above mentions rubber going bad on the harmonic balancer. That will not affect the timing marks, they are on the base of the pulley and even if the serpentine belt part of the pulley is removed the timing marks are still in the backing plate.

 

I should have looked at your image closer before reply above. You have an odd or out of the norm looking gear on the exhaust cam. The bolt that holds the cam gear to the cam has keyway that lines up with a pin in the cam under it that points straight up when at tdc. It is usually half way between the two spokes of the cam gear. In the pic yours has the recessed dimple in the tooth that is not halfway between the spokes like it is on the intake gear. The intake gear looks normal. There is something odd about that but would need to see it closer.

 

Well that’s what I get for going from memory. Sorry, I was wrong above. The recessed dimples are at the spokes not between.