Help, please! Timing related problem. 2.2L

[ubar legacy]

a month or 2 ago i had my timing belt replaced by a buddy (which has a baby now and has a really busy schedule). He said that I should look into getting new idler pulleys soon. So I took note of it but didnt have the money or time to get them. So life goes on.. Then a few weeks ago It was cold out..i had to go somewhere quick, so I backed out of the driveway, put it in drive, and it died. Timing skipped. He retimed it, and it ran great. So a couple nights ago I quick pulled my car into the garage after sitting out in the cold (driveway) for a couple hours. Still ran good..nothing weird.. Then the morning after, wouldnt start. Same thing as before. So I retimed it last night and it did the same thing...wouldnt even start. It tried, but the timing is messed up.. I redid it a second time..same thing.

Soo...could it be just the idler pulleys? Or could it be something else?? Let me know.

All I have to say is thank god they arent an interferance engine!!

[decke48]

sounds like the tensioner is no good. or there something binding in the valvetrain, if it keeps skipping with a new belt. when you retimed it did you use the triangle or the mark on the pick up gear, to the block mark? need to use the pickup gear mark and the triangle mark should be at 3oclock.

[ubar legacy]

need to use the pickup gear mark and the triangle mark should be at 3oclock.
Yes, this is how I lined it up.

I did notice that the passenger side cam gear spins easily probably a couple inches maybe this play has something to do with it?? I'm not sure what is going on with this, but It's really stressing me out.. :smt009