HELP!! i have 2 944s one 84 and one 85. i have taken out the motor of the 84 model and put it in my 85 . the 84 model has no power steering but does on the 85 so i had to take the timing belt go and the bottom balancing bar to get the power steering mounts of so i still have power steering.
I put everthing together and started the car . It started ok but alot of engine noise which didint seem normal.
What i have found is i have the flywheel at tdc (top dead center) i have with that the balencing bars lined up with the marks on the plastic housing which protect the timing belts or as explained in the haynes book on my model.But the camsharft sprocket does not line up with the markings on the motor body. Some how the markings are 180° out of line as if the whole sprocket is half a turn out of place.Not just one tooth or two.
Im stuffed itf i know how this is happened and how i actually managed to start the car. Could someone give me some light on this.?? Also i believe in turning the sprocket to the right position and then puting the timing belt back on but i cant turn the sprocket without the valves touching the pistons i imagine. But then how can i manage to get the camshaft so far out of line. i believe i would touch the pistons first before getting the camshaft so far unlined.
Please some one with experience tell me what to do . I have not taken the head off the block on this motor.

 

I cannot imagine that the car would even run with the cam 180 deg out of align, and I believe the 944 has negative valve clearance so it would cause piston and valve to meet. I've seen all sorts of things like this where there was a reason: maybe you are using an 84 shop manual and the 85s used a different cam sprocket marker. Maybe someone rebuilt the engine previously and got the sprocket but not the cam turned 180 deg.

I am not that knowledgeable on specific 944s, but:
1) I would not do anything until I knew exactly what had happened. Maybe the cam is 180 deg out, but I think you are on the brink of really hurting the motor if you start or even turn it over until you know exactly what the story with the cam is.
2) I would look for something else as an explanation. You might solve this problem only to discover something else with the balancers or the engine or even engine mounting is wrong.

 

The camshaft turns 1 time to every 2 rotations of the crank, so you can be off 180 degrees from the cam mark on the cam housing. Turn the crank 360 degrees, and the mark should be lined up again. Turn it another 360 degrees and it will be 180 degree out from the cam housing, it is perfectly normal. As long as the mark lines up after a 360 degree rotation, you are fine. This site may help you www.clarks-garage.com check out his shop manual in the camshaft section for the belts and such. Double check the alignment of your balance shaft belt.