I bought a 2004 228 with a 2004 F225 awhile back and have been tinkering it up, getting it ready to catch a fish. I got it done up to the point I am satisfied to start using it. The previous owner said he had never replaced the timing belt and there was no paperwork showing the original owner had done it and for that matter it wasn't time for the original owner to do it before the guy I bought it from took over. When we ran it for a water test it ran fine. Cruised at about 27 mph and ran it up to about 38 mph before a turn and an oncoming boat slowed things down. Back at the dock I had it idle in neutral for about 10 minutes. No stumbling, no alarms, gauges all looking as they should. Pee stream was good. So here I am ready to do the proper thing and change the timing belt. Book says change it at 1000hrs or 5 years. It has 500+ hrs but it has been 18 years. Time to get it done. SIM Yamaha sent me the belt and I just pulled the cover off the flywheel. First job, line up the timing marks. SNAG!....This is where I would like some advice, opinions or gospel truth. I lined up the #1 TDC and looked over at the camshaft sprockets to verify that those marks were all in agreement. They are NOT!. They are 180 degrees off. Both of them. Question #1...Are the camshaft lobes in the same position when 180 degrees off compared to being on the mark? Question #2....Can I remove the belt and rotate each camshaft clockwise to line them up with the mark to make everything copesetic? Look at the pictures and zoom in to see the white paint I put on the timing mark/indicators.
