'97 1.9TD timing belt woes.

[Bundy]

First up, hello folks. Been reading your forums for a few months now and have been well impressed with the attitude and community spirit you have, it's nice to see.

Anywho, Today i decided to try and tackle the smoke machines timing belt, i decided it might be a good idea seing as the belts at least 5 years old, although it's only done 35k miles. Trouble being, i was a bit short of time and was only planning to do the prep work today, removing the cases etc. I got the front case off, the rear roll restrictor off and then turned my attention to the right hand engine mount... and this is where the problems started.

I undid the top 3 bolts connecting it to the engine and the one attaching it to the inner wing, however mine is the type of mount with another roll restrictor as part of it and i can't for the life of me see a good way to get any more bolts out to allow me to get it off the car. I tried undoing the bolt through the top eye of the roll restrictor bar but the bolt wont come out as it hits the inner wing when it's not even half way out and the bolt through the bottom eye hits the timing belt cover. I did manage to get the engine mount rotated upwards after a lot of raising and lowering of the engine, but because the mounts still in the way i cant get near the rear timing belt cover to get any bolts etc out of it to remove it.

Can anyone who has done a timing belt swap please give me some advice on what i'm doing wrong? i have a sneaky suspicion that i'm missing something really simple which is preventing me from removing it.

Thanks in advance.

Bundy.

[jasper5]

It's a long while since I did one of these, someone else may be able to give more accurate advice, but I seem to remember that there may be a couple of bolts on the inner wing holding the mounting bracket on for the roll restrictor bar (engine steady bar).I seem to remember them being a pig to get at....like I said I may not be 100% correct as i'm relying on distant memory.

[StevieboyTD]

heh, the engine mount from hell



3 bolts with 16mm heads, you can see two, you get to the last one using the force.

[jasper5]

That's the beast stevieboy Right old barsteward them aren't they?

My memory is working well just

[mjb]

I've never had any trouble with them!

[Bundy]

Cheers Jasper, i got the mount off this afternoon, then spent an hour and a lot of skin off my arms and knuckles getting the bolt out of the timing belt rear cover (the one on the back of the engine you get 1/12th of a turn on at a time). Went to get the bottom pulley off and every time i got enough force on it to get it to shift i almost pulled the engine off the jack, realised i should of slackened it off BEFORE taking off the engine mounts then *luckily* her indoors called me in for feeding time, luckily because i was raging and looking for something to kick/throw/punch/cry on.

So i thought sod it, tomorrow i'll get the airline onto it and so spent the rest of the night relaxing with a beer while finishing off my stereo install. Good job i'm not in a hurry, i dont need it back on the road before wednesday, lol.

PS can anyone describe or post a pic of where the hole is next to the starter motor that you insert the 8mm pin into to lock the timing? i only had a quick looksie but couldn't see it.

[StevieboyTD]

7. Allen key using your finger tips or use the handle from a mini gloss roller to put in the hole. OR you can take the starter off and get to it without any problems.

[Bundy]

Thanks man, you're a legend!

[Bundy]

Had a few hours spare today after getting some visitors. Got the old belt off after an hour long struggle to get the crank pulley bolt out. Ended up using 3 extensions to reach outside of the wheelarch, resting the extensions on an axle stand and placing a 3ft pole over my 3.5ft breaker bar. I had to take it ALL the way out using the breaker bar too, it was TIGHT. As soon as i saw the bolt i knew why, i've never seen so much thread locking compound on a single bolt before!

Got the new belt on, tensioned and timed in perfectly, then it was to dark to carry on

Still, at least reassembling the thing should be easier. (touches wood)

[jasper5]

Well done

My method of undoing the crank pulley bolt takes seconds, even the tight ones like yours, turning the key will unscrew the bolt as the engine turns, makes a lovely noise, but it works.

[StevieboyTD]

Got the new belt on, tensioned and timed in perfectly, then it was to dark to carry on

Turn it over by hand twice, then see if the timing pins go back in. Usual mistake (ok, MY usual mistake) is to go from the cam to the tensioner, instead of cam to pump. If you do that, taking the slack up with the adjuster puts the timing out.

VERY important, be sure to have the bottom pulley on when you do you "test fire up", else the belt wanders off the crank and everything gets horribly messy.

[Bundy]

Well done

My method of undoing the crank pulley bolt takes seconds, even the tight ones like yours, turning the key will unscrew the bolt as the engine turns, makes a lovely noise, but it works.

I was sorely tempted to try your method, but my garage is only 2ft wider than the car so it feels wrong to try things like that for the first time inside it for some reason, lol.

Turn it over by hand twice, then see if the timing pins go back in. Usual mistake (ok, MY usual mistake) is to go from the cam to the tensioner, instead of cam to pump. If you do that, taking the slack up with the adjuster puts the timing out.

VERY important, be sure to have the bottom pulley on when you do you "test fire up", else the belt wanders off the crank and everything gets horribly messy.

Aye, I fitted the belt from crank to pump, then cam etc. Pulled out all the pins turned it over twice,t hen another twice for good measure and all the pins went back in no problem. Pulled them out again, twice more for good luck and they all went in again so i'm fairly certain it's timed right.

My tensioner seems to be on some sort of drugs though, it pulls the belt so tight you just can't turn the tensioner pulley at all so that's the first thing i'll need to tweak when i head back out to the garage, that's going to be fun without a 3rd arm...

[jasper5]

Regarding your tensioner, your tensioner should be spring loaded, which means that the tension will always be applied to the belt by spring tension, don't get confused with the HDi tensioner arrangement which is NOT spring loaded.

Your tensioner pulley will NOT turn like the HDi one.

[Bundy]

Got a chance to rebuild the car today, aint it strange how rebuilding cars always takes 1/10th of the time of stripping them down!

Oddly, the car seems to start easier and revs up a bit quicker than before, as well as sounding a bit crisper. Saying that, the old belt was as slack as torn pocket, so i dare say it was strethed a fair bit and putting the timing out a little.

Still, not a job i'd rush to do again!

[pugSL]

Hi,

what do you mean by

go from the cam to the tensioner, instead of cam to pump.

Do you mean you have to follow a sequence to lock the pulleys one by one...cam => IP => Crank => Tensioner etc.....