davemanjam

OK so I'm doing the head gasket/Timing belt on my 98 Civic LX.

My question is this:
In getting the crank pulley bolt loose I've lost track of where TDC is on the Crank pulley in relation to TDC on the Camshaft...

So, does it really matter?

When I put it back together I will make sure they are both set at TDC, and will make sure the distributor is correctly positioned so that the valves are closed on Cylinder 1 when firing piston 1. (Rocker arms loose on 1, stiff on 4). I will also rotate the crankshaft by hand to make sure nothing bangs.

Is there anything else I should/can be doing to ensure everything is correct?

mikey1

there are marks on the engine,

you should be able to align TDC even with the crank pulley removed,

after you remove the timing cover, temporarily re-install the crank pulley, then use the holding tool to rotate the crank, while your rotating the crank align the marks on the CAM to TDC,

now remove the crank pulley and check the crank marks on the engine