Outer Limits 4x4 Board

i have just replaced the water pump on my 96 vitara with the G16b and to do this i had to removed all the timing gear, fan, shroud and all belts.

So the new pump is on and got the timing belt back on, it was a bit of stuggle but got it on.
As the timing belt and tensioner was on, nothing else important really needed to be put on to make it start. as the manual says to crank it 270 degrees for the spring to get good tension we did this, then turned it over via the key but we disconnected the distributor efi plug so it wouldnt fire, it turned over fine but the belt began to run off the pulley top and bottom pulleys.

how are you meant to align the belt on the pulley so it doesnt run off? is it just a matter of trial and error, or does the big bottom pulley (crankshaft pulley i think) hold it in place?

thanks
Mitch

The pulley holds it in place.

If all the pulleys are mounted correct the belt should run square and stay on. There is nothing really holding the belt on.

I would keep turning it over (by hand at first) to see what happens, if the pulley is coming off the only thing I can think of is that one of the pulleys is mounted incorrectly.