CITROEN C2 VTR - No C2 Timing Marks

Q
I'm planning to change the timing belt on my C2 VTR, but after taking off the front timing belt cover, I can't find any timing marks on the camshaft pulleys. There are also no timing marks on the front crankshaft pulley. How am I supposed to time up the engine? Hope you can help. I don't want to pay a garage to do this job for me.

A
The 1.6-litre twin-cam engine in your C2 VTR has a hole in each camshaft pulley, which lines up with a hole in the cylinder head. This is where camshaft locking pins should be fitted and when lined up, indicates the correct timing of the engine with piston number one at TDC. You're right, there are no timing marks, so once you've fitted the locking pins (use 6mm diameter dowels or bolts if you don't have the correct tools), it's a good idea to add some paint marks to the camshaft pulleys and the crankshaft pulley. The VTR's crank can also be locked by fitting a locking pin through the engine block, just behind the oil filter. This should be done before fitting the camshaft locking pins and can be quite fiddly (Citroën recommend you remove the oil filter).