Originally posted by LoCoZ:
Um no.....spin the cam(s) and not the crank then your timing is off.


OK. Call me dumb (well...you don't really have to), but why the heck would you spin the cams when doing preventative maintenance such as replacing a timing belt? Aside from breaking a belt, I can't see why you wouldn't have the opportunity to mark the gear/belt relationships like I did.
If you mark the relationship of belt to gear and spin everything you can independantly, you can still correctly time the engine without Ford's tools. Put the crank at #1TDC using the pointer on the pulley, place both cams in a postion near where they'll need to be to match up the markings, and put the belt on. Match the marks at the crank first, pull the belt tight going counterclockwise to the exhuast cam gear and move the gear as necessary to line up the marks there, then on to the intake cam gear to do the same. As long as the belt is tight between those three gears, you're good to go. I did it. It runs well. Of course all the above assumes you don't move the gear with realationship to the cam, but you shouldn't have to do that unless you put a new gear on a cam. Question comes to mind...are the gears keyed to the cam like the crank pulley is to the crank? If that is the case, even replacing a gear wouldn't change any of the above procedure.

The stumble at idle was there before I touched the car with the factory set timing, so the timing isn't a contributor. Apparently it's not an uncommon problem from the other posts I've read here.

Aside...I have a webpage that outlines the timing for the SOHC 4.6 V8 that uses a similar method - here if you're interested. Ford also says you HAVE to use their tools for setting the timing in these engines, but almost no one does. You don't need to. I've had the heads off the GT a couple of times and afterwards set the timing with no problems. Alot of people have used my page to walk them through timing their engines also, so it works. If you look at it, you'll see the similarity.

-Keith '97 Contour GL Zetec 5spd '96 Mustang GT 5spd with an '02 engine