2000 Mazda 626 timing belt sprocket marks...

I'm in the middle of replacing the timing belt on my Mazda's 4 cyl. engine. I've done this plenty of times on other cars, but this is my first DOHC. I got all the marks lined up and after I pulled the old belt the cams jerked a bit. No big deal so I pressed on replacing the water pump and the idler and tensioner pulleys (preventative stuff). I realigned the marks and replaced the belt. After turning the engine through the exhaust cam mark seemed a bit off. I realigned the sprockets to what looks right, but I'm not sure. The Haynes manual mentions marks on the inside of the sprockets that should line up with the top of the cylinder head. Right now they both are slightly above the top edge of the head. If I skip a tooth each they would both be slightly below. I'm kicking myself for not making my own marks earlier. What I want to do next is run a straightedge across the center of the sprocket bolts and use that as a reference for the marks; would that be accurate? It takes a lot of work to access that belt and I want to get it right. Thanks for any advice...

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dkborch37
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