newbie replacing t-belt on 86
07-09-2003, 09:39 AM
#1
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1
newbie replacing t-belt on 86
Hello all,
I need help on how to replace the timing belt on my 86 Max and have never done one before.Is there an area on this board with tech. info on replacing the t-belt?
Any help would be nice.....
Cheers,
Scott
I need help on how to replace the timing belt on my 86 Max and have never done one before.Is there an area on this board with tech. info on replacing the t-belt?
Any help would be nice.....
Cheers,
Scott
07-10-2003, 04:57 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 548
I am replacing my timing belt very soon too...next few days, cos the car's not being drivin until that's done. I searched through the forums with "timing belt" and didn't get much for 2nd gens, instructional-wise.
if you plan to do your own work on your maxima, as these cars are extremely easy to work on (except for changing the oil) it would be worth your time and money to invest in a Nissan FSM (Factory Service Manual) for your car. I'm not sure but I hear that the Haynes and Chiltons manuals have some incorrect details, so I wouldn't trust them. I spent about $20 for mine that I bought off E-bay and it's about the size of a phone book. Unlike a Haynes or Chiltons, the factory service manual only covers one car, in my case, it covers the 1988 Nissan Maxima, whereas other books cover a variety of years, for example the Haynes covers 1985 to 1992, I think, and that may get confusing. Not only that, the FSM is written by the people who built and understand our cars.
ohh - and the FSM has exact step-by-step instructions for replacing the timing belt. since you're doing that, it would be advisable to also replace your water pump and crankshaft and camshaft oil seals, since you're working near them anyway, and the thermostat if you need to. waiting until later to replace them involves taking everything back apart again.
I drive a truck for Federated Auto Parts (aka Fisher Auto Parts) here in PA and got my parts through them. When I bought the parts to do my timing belt, I got the belt itself, a water pump, and crankshaft and camshaft oil seals. it came to around $89 for everything. I'd get a good quality belt, as you DO NOT want it to slip or break while the engine is running. expect to pay between $17-$37 on the belt itself, depending on where you get it ($17 at Auto Zone, $37 at a Nissan dealer).
if you don't get it done before I do, I'll let you know how it went and what I did.
Dan
if you plan to do your own work on your maxima, as these cars are extremely easy to work on (except for changing the oil) it would be worth your time and money to invest in a Nissan FSM (Factory Service Manual) for your car. I'm not sure but I hear that the Haynes and Chiltons manuals have some incorrect details, so I wouldn't trust them. I spent about $20 for mine that I bought off E-bay and it's about the size of a phone book. Unlike a Haynes or Chiltons, the factory service manual only covers one car, in my case, it covers the 1988 Nissan Maxima, whereas other books cover a variety of years, for example the Haynes covers 1985 to 1992, I think, and that may get confusing. Not only that, the FSM is written by the people who built and understand our cars.
ohh - and the FSM has exact step-by-step instructions for replacing the timing belt. since you're doing that, it would be advisable to also replace your water pump and crankshaft and camshaft oil seals, since you're working near them anyway, and the thermostat if you need to. waiting until later to replace them involves taking everything back apart again.
I drive a truck for Federated Auto Parts (aka Fisher Auto Parts) here in PA and got my parts through them. When I bought the parts to do my timing belt, I got the belt itself, a water pump, and crankshaft and camshaft oil seals. it came to around $89 for everything. I'd get a good quality belt, as you DO NOT want it to slip or break while the engine is running. expect to pay between $17-$37 on the belt itself, depending on where you get it ($17 at Auto Zone, $37 at a Nissan dealer).
if you don't get it done before I do, I'll let you know how it went and what I did.
Dan
07-25-2003, 07:28 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 548
my belt has been on for almost 2 weeks now and I'm experiencing no problems. the whole ordeal was rather simple, but really time consuming. it can be done with an average set of tools. you shouldn't nead anything unusual except a really large socket (1/2" drive) for the crankshaft, and a .35mm feeler gauge.
like I said earler, your best bet is to do the water pump, thermostat, and oil seals when doing the belt, since they're all in there. water pump and thermostat are easy, the oil seals were a little more difficult. the part that gave me the most trouble was removing the old camshaft seals, and getting the belt to line up perfectly. the lines on the belt must line up with the timing marks on the sprockets.
I worked from the Nissan factory service manual, which covered the process step by step. a few days ago I got a Haynes manual and looked over the procedure in there and they were identical. The Haynes manual had a better way of explaining things and had pictures to go over most of the steps.
total, I'd expect to put a weekend into doing the timing belt. the first thing you'll want to do is get some plastic disposable cups and a stickie pad. I used these to label the different screws, nuts, bolts, etc. that I removed, so that nothing got confused.
if you want, I can explain how I did it, I wrote down all the steps I began with. or if you have any questions, I or anyone here can answer them. one thing you'll find out....all the bolts you remove to do this will either be 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, and a few 14mm. that's it. I think it's 8mm for the belt cover and 14mm for the camshaft sprockets.
like I said earler, your best bet is to do the water pump, thermostat, and oil seals when doing the belt, since they're all in there. water pump and thermostat are easy, the oil seals were a little more difficult. the part that gave me the most trouble was removing the old camshaft seals, and getting the belt to line up perfectly. the lines on the belt must line up with the timing marks on the sprockets.
I worked from the Nissan factory service manual, which covered the process step by step. a few days ago I got a Haynes manual and looked over the procedure in there and they were identical. The Haynes manual had a better way of explaining things and had pictures to go over most of the steps.
total, I'd expect to put a weekend into doing the timing belt. the first thing you'll want to do is get some plastic disposable cups and a stickie pad. I used these to label the different screws, nuts, bolts, etc. that I removed, so that nothing got confused.
if you want, I can explain how I did it, I wrote down all the steps I began with. or if you have any questions, I or anyone here can answer them. one thing you'll find out....all the bolts you remove to do this will either be 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, and a few 14mm. that's it. I think it's 8mm for the belt cover and 14mm for the camshaft sprockets.
07-25-2003, 08:18 AM
#5
Hey blackmaxima88,
When you did the timing belt, did you remove the valvecover and loosen up the bolts holding down the rocker shaft? Was that very difficult? I'm thinking about doing my timing belt too, but haven't gotten to it yet.
S
When you did the timing belt, did you remove the valvecover and loosen up the bolts holding down the rocker shaft? Was that very difficult? I'm thinking about doing my timing belt too, but haven't gotten to it yet.
S
07-25-2003, 03:10 PM
#6
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 29
Originally posted by maximase86
Hey blackmaxima88,
When you did the timing belt, did you remove the valvecover and loosen up the bolts holding down the rocker shaft? Was that very difficult? I'm thinking about doing my timing belt too, but haven't gotten to it yet.
S
Hey blackmaxima88,
When you did the timing belt, did you remove the valvecover and loosen up the bolts holding down the rocker shaft? Was that very difficult? I'm thinking about doing my timing belt too, but haven't gotten to it yet.
S
Leigh
07-25-2003, 03:44 PM
#7
Well, if I remember right from the FSM, to properly seat the belt, you have to remove the valve cover and loosen the rocker bolts. Put the belt on, then tight them back....etc. Just want to get an idea since I will be doing a timing belt soon on my car.
S
S
07-25-2003, 05:18 PM
#8
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 1
Originally posted by blackmaxima88
as you DO NOT want it to slip or break while the engine is running.
as you DO NOT want it to slip or break while the engine is running.
The timing belt snapped and it now sits at the shop... We're thinking if we should fix it or just part it out, but the shop can't work on it till monday, so we don't know how much damage happened.
07-26-2003, 10:23 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 548
yeah I had a belt break in 2 of my cars, first was an '86 pontiac grand am. luckily, the car was off at the time. I'm suprised it didn't have a timing chain. GM (garbage machine) for you.
second was my '87 VW Fox I paid $400 for after I wrecked my 89 Sentra and needed a car really soon really bad. that belt didn't break, what happened was the teeth actually broke off, this did happen while I was driving and it just stalled. it took me about 7 months to figure out that that's what happened. suprisingly enough, there was no engine damage from that. that had the same 1.8-litre engine all VWs had back then. all those cars are the same.
I don't think the FSM or the Haynes said anything about removing the valve cover and/or loosening the rocker bolts, so it didn't get done. is that something I shoud do?
I replaced my 2 camshaft seals, but not the crankshaft seal, for a few reasons. while I was at work, I had my sister get the parts. they gave us a crankshaft seal that is about 4" in diameter and I didn't know where it went cos the crankshaft sprocket is very small. I think it is a crankshaft seal, but it's for the flywheel (rear) end of the crankshaft, not the front (timing belt) end. the FSM went over camshaft seal replacement, but not crankshaft seal replacement. it said something like "front oil seal" but that meant removing the oil pan and oil pump.
so the crankshaft seal didn't get replaced. the haynes manual has instructions for it and it looks just as easy as the camshaft seals. the sprocket needs to be pried off. I kinda figured in the back of my head that was what I needed to do, but since the FSM didn't specifically cover it, I left it alone.
if I have to reseat the timing belt with the rocker bolts loosened, I may as well replace the crankshaft seal. the FSM specified a .35mm feeler gauge for the belt tension. the closest I could find was .358mm. would that make any difference? it's only .008mm larger.
second was my '87 VW Fox I paid $400 for after I wrecked my 89 Sentra and needed a car really soon really bad. that belt didn't break, what happened was the teeth actually broke off, this did happen while I was driving and it just stalled. it took me about 7 months to figure out that that's what happened. suprisingly enough, there was no engine damage from that. that had the same 1.8-litre engine all VWs had back then. all those cars are the same.
I don't think the FSM or the Haynes said anything about removing the valve cover and/or loosening the rocker bolts, so it didn't get done. is that something I shoud do?
I replaced my 2 camshaft seals, but not the crankshaft seal, for a few reasons. while I was at work, I had my sister get the parts. they gave us a crankshaft seal that is about 4" in diameter and I didn't know where it went cos the crankshaft sprocket is very small. I think it is a crankshaft seal, but it's for the flywheel (rear) end of the crankshaft, not the front (timing belt) end. the FSM went over camshaft seal replacement, but not crankshaft seal replacement. it said something like "front oil seal" but that meant removing the oil pan and oil pump.
so the crankshaft seal didn't get replaced. the haynes manual has instructions for it and it looks just as easy as the camshaft seals. the sprocket needs to be pried off. I kinda figured in the back of my head that was what I needed to do, but since the FSM didn't specifically cover it, I left it alone.
if I have to reseat the timing belt with the rocker bolts loosened, I may as well replace the crankshaft seal. the FSM specified a .35mm feeler gauge for the belt tension. the closest I could find was .358mm. would that make any difference? it's only .008mm larger.
07-26-2003, 11:57 AM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Yeah, not all engines suffer damage when the timing belt breaks. Our engines are what you call 'interference' engines. That basically means that the pistons will hit the valves when the belt breaks. GM engines aren't interference engines either, so even if you were driving the Grand Am when the belt broke, you wouldn't have suffered any damage. It sucks that we have to worry about that, but I believe that it makes the engine more efficient and responsive.
-C-
-C-
07-26-2003, 11:15 PM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 548
GM cars are junk though, at least the ones made from like 83 up to 93ish. I'd take any Nissan over any GM car, for the most part, any day of the week. I'd rather change my timing belt every 60,000 miles and drive a car that I know will be dependable and have better performance.
I had a '91 Cavalier. that thing was a piece of crap. in the first 3 weeks of owning it (if that) I replaced the alternator twice and the battery once. the first time the alternator went I was in the middle of nowhere at 4 AM, and the alternator light never came on to tell me there was a problem. I was driving on a long country road and just lost battery power. a mechanic told me that the GM alternators used in the older cars like that had a ventilation problem, causing them to burn up early, it seems to be an ongoing thing.
not only that, for a while, Chevy was taking Toyota cars and putting a bowtie on them, and calling it a Chevy. look at an 86 Nova, it's nothing more than a Toyota Corolla.
but I guess it's more of a biased opinion than anything though..... people like them. I've owned a few GMs and 2 Nissans. the Nissans have them beat by far, so that's what I'm sticking with...
I had a '91 Cavalier. that thing was a piece of crap. in the first 3 weeks of owning it (if that) I replaced the alternator twice and the battery once. the first time the alternator went I was in the middle of nowhere at 4 AM, and the alternator light never came on to tell me there was a problem. I was driving on a long country road and just lost battery power. a mechanic told me that the GM alternators used in the older cars like that had a ventilation problem, causing them to burn up early, it seems to be an ongoing thing.
not only that, for a while, Chevy was taking Toyota cars and putting a bowtie on them, and calling it a Chevy. look at an 86 Nova, it's nothing more than a Toyota Corolla.
but I guess it's more of a biased opinion than anything though..... people like them. I've owned a few GMs and 2 Nissans. the Nissans have them beat by far, so that's what I'm sticking with...
07-26-2003, 11:37 PM
#13
lol, when chevy did that....I lost even more respect for the Nova. I mean, back in 68-70, the Nova was one helluva muscle car. I mean, there was endless things you could do with it, and you can easily make it a 7-second car. Than the late 70's, early 80 Nova's turned into just plain junk. Kinda the equivalent of the Mustang-II and Pinto.
S
S
07-27-2003, 12:39 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 548
eww. I like the older novas, late 60s-70s, the impalas were nice, and the chevelles, I hafta say they're my favorite. the real chevies. and the mustang II, that's just a disgrace, a 4-cylinder engine in a mustang.
what's just as bad as the camaros. they used to have 305s in the early 80s, then they started putting 2.8s in them, the base models at least, and I drove one and the thing had no power at all.
even the new "chevy" products, the things that used to be called "geo", aren't chevies. the chevy prizm is a toyota corolla. the trackers used to be suzuki sidekicks, I think.
I still like the newer monte carlos, impalas, the larger chevies.
they certainly don't make cars like they should, or like they used to. it's pretty bad when a chevy can be built in japan and shipped over here while a nissan rolls off an assembly line in Smyrna, Tennessee. my 88 maxima was built in japan and shipped over here (vin JN1...) but my 89 sentra was assembled here in america (vin 1N4...) with cars nowadays, you simply don't know what you're getting, where the parts were assembled, or what kinda car they were in before they were recycled.
so when someone gives me that "import cars suck" bullsh!t, I laugh in their face.
what's just as bad as the camaros. they used to have 305s in the early 80s, then they started putting 2.8s in them, the base models at least, and I drove one and the thing had no power at all.
even the new "chevy" products, the things that used to be called "geo", aren't chevies. the chevy prizm is a toyota corolla. the trackers used to be suzuki sidekicks, I think.
I still like the newer monte carlos, impalas, the larger chevies.
they certainly don't make cars like they should, or like they used to. it's pretty bad when a chevy can be built in japan and shipped over here while a nissan rolls off an assembly line in Smyrna, Tennessee. my 88 maxima was built in japan and shipped over here (vin JN1...) but my 89 sentra was assembled here in america (vin 1N4...) with cars nowadays, you simply don't know what you're getting, where the parts were assembled, or what kinda car they were in before they were recycled.
so when someone gives me that "import cars suck" bullsh!t, I laugh in their face.
07-27-2003, 01:13 AM
#15
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Posts: n/a
Yeah, any domestic car made from '73 on pretty much sucks. I had a '90 Cavalier and replaced the alternator three times, so I know exactly what you're talking about. My brother has a '91 Z24 and the interior is crap, the vinyl is all peeling up and it's made of mostly plastic junk. My '90 was also junk and things broke constantly. The head gasket on the 4 bangers were notorious for failing prematurely.
Even the newer domestic cars, while being more reliable and better looking than the junk that came out of the '80's, are still no match for the performance of most Japanese cars. The Infiniti G35 will smoke a Caddy CTS, an Infiniti Q45 or M45 will dust a Lincoln LS V8, a Maxima will smoke any Monte Carlo, Impala or Grand Prix, and the SE-R will destroy a Cavalier Z24. Nissan pretty much owns every domestic car in its class, not to mention they're still more reliable and are built with better quality parts and workmanship.
GM has to use massive 3.8L engines and has to supercharge them no less, just to match the power of a 3.5L, naturally aspirated Nissan engine. The stock N/A 3.8L GM V6 puts out a meager 200 HP. Hell, the 2.5L four banger in the SE-R Spec V is only 15 HP less than that. The stock 4.6L V8 in the Mustang puts out 260 ponies, less than that of the 3.5L V6 in the Z. It's pathetic to see how inefficient the domestic engineered engines are. The only one that comes close to matching Nissan's efficiency is Chrysler, but their cars are also very unreliable.
-C-
Even the newer domestic cars, while being more reliable and better looking than the junk that came out of the '80's, are still no match for the performance of most Japanese cars. The Infiniti G35 will smoke a Caddy CTS, an Infiniti Q45 or M45 will dust a Lincoln LS V8, a Maxima will smoke any Monte Carlo, Impala or Grand Prix, and the SE-R will destroy a Cavalier Z24. Nissan pretty much owns every domestic car in its class, not to mention they're still more reliable and are built with better quality parts and workmanship.
GM has to use massive 3.8L engines and has to supercharge them no less, just to match the power of a 3.5L, naturally aspirated Nissan engine. The stock N/A 3.8L GM V6 puts out a meager 200 HP. Hell, the 2.5L four banger in the SE-R Spec V is only 15 HP less than that. The stock 4.6L V8 in the Mustang puts out 260 ponies, less than that of the 3.5L V6 in the Z. It's pathetic to see how inefficient the domestic engineered engines are. The only one that comes close to matching Nissan's efficiency is Chrysler, but their cars are also very unreliable.
-C-
07-27-2003, 01:56 AM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 548
the interior of my 91 cavalier was coming up too, it wasn't unusual to hit a bump in the road and have the heater vents fall off. the defogger vents on top of the dashboard were all warped. the interior carpet was all worn down to nothing, and when I put in the wiring for my neon license plate frame, I removed the dashboard panel under the steering wheel for the switch. well instead of using screws, they used these breakaway clips that held the panel to the frame, and once removed the clips were destroyed and you had to go to a dealer to get new ones. to remove the dashboard underpanel in my 88 max, all I need is a 10mm socket. AND it bolts right back up.
I sincerely think that GM...well actually EVERY domestic car manufacturer was using their reputation to sell cheap, inexpensive JUNK. people look at a toyota corolla that has a bowtie on it and say "hell, it's a chevy, it'll run forever" but they'll also tell you that import cars suck. HAHAHAAAA!!
one domestic car idea I don't like is the serpentine belt. while it seems convenient only having one belt, it's more trouble if that belt breaks, cos then you lose everything - water pump, power steering, alternator, a/c, etc. needless to say, the car will almost definately die after 20 minutes. new domestic cars still use the serpentine belt, while my 03 Sentra had I think 3 separate belts. our 2nd gen maximas have 3 belts. if my compressor belt breaks, my engine won't overheat and I won't lose my power steering. my alternator light will come on and I'll have to drive straight home. no damage sustained.
friend of mine has a GM truck, and for whatever reason, the tensioner pulley on the idler arm was made of PLASTIC. a PULLEY, a moving part, made of PLASTIC. one day it just melted and had to be replaced. I gotta wonder...what were these people thinking?
I sincerely think that GM...well actually EVERY domestic car manufacturer was using their reputation to sell cheap, inexpensive JUNK. people look at a toyota corolla that has a bowtie on it and say "hell, it's a chevy, it'll run forever" but they'll also tell you that import cars suck. HAHAHAAAA!!
one domestic car idea I don't like is the serpentine belt. while it seems convenient only having one belt, it's more trouble if that belt breaks, cos then you lose everything - water pump, power steering, alternator, a/c, etc. needless to say, the car will almost definately die after 20 minutes. new domestic cars still use the serpentine belt, while my 03 Sentra had I think 3 separate belts. our 2nd gen maximas have 3 belts. if my compressor belt breaks, my engine won't overheat and I won't lose my power steering. my alternator light will come on and I'll have to drive straight home. no damage sustained.
friend of mine has a GM truck, and for whatever reason, the tensioner pulley on the idler arm was made of PLASTIC. a PULLEY, a moving part, made of PLASTIC. one day it just melted and had to be replaced. I gotta wonder...what were these people thinking?
08-06-2003, 05:44 PM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 113
kinda getting back on timing belts
I did mine in mid-July, and it wasnt very difficult to do. The parts I suggest having ready for replacement are:
timing/alternator/power steering/waterpump belts (you have to take them all off anyway, might as well replace them if you havent done it recently), cam seal (x2) & crank seal (these might very well still be in good condition, but you should have them anyway), water pump, thermostat, maybe the two idler pulleys for your waterpump and power steering belts (mine where prone to chirping when it was wet/humid out and now there's no more chirp!! =D), PCV valve, and replacement plates for the ones that are between the crank-pulley and the crank cog, and between the cog and the block.
I *REALLY* messed mine up when I was pullin' them off, when I put it all back together, it made this really obnoxious clanging noise. Talked to my mechanic about it and he said that I could have left it on there and it would have smoothed itself out in a couple miles of road-wear. Its supposed to look like - but mine looked more like ~ hehe Its supposed to be absolutely flat. The second plate is shaped kinda like this ( and it kinda fits around the inside of the crank pulley. There's also a head temp sensor (think thats what its called) that could be replaced, but I didnt do it b/c I didnt even know it was there ahead of time.
All in all, starting in the early afternoon on a Friday, we had it essentially dont that night I think. But the afore-mentioned clanging noise made us wary and I pulled it all back apart the next morning b/c I thought I had tightened the timing belt too much or something. And then pulled it all back apart again when I realized it was that messed up plate making all the noise. Long story short, I made it a lot more work than it had to be because I didnt know what the noise was. I believe thats about everything.
When I got the cover off the timing belt, we twisted the crank shaft until the timing belt's marks lined up, and my belt was off a tooth (was back one notch or something) on the left cam. Now that I've got the new water pump & thermostat in there, my temperature gauge stays between 1/3 and 3/4 (used to go from almost Cold to almost Hot) and I no longer have any hesitation when really on the accelerator
I also replaced my fuel filter while I was in there, and dang is that thing a pain in the ***. Thank goodness I only have to do that once a year or so. Now all I have to do is look into my AC Compressor issues and my car will be like-new 
Just got some new Sumitomo SRIXON4 All-season 195/60-15s HR tires for like $42/ea at www.tirerack.com - apparently my alignment was fuct and it ate up my passenger side tires dont know how it got messed up. I avoid potholes and curbs like the plague and got my front end aligned not too long ago. Whatever... ruined 3 out of 4 1-2 year old Perelli Drago's.. and I got my passenger front strut replaced b/c apparently it was bad, and yet even with replacing the tires and the strut, Sears Tire & Battery still cant seem to actually properly allign my car and balance my tires.
Back on the topic of the timing belt job, my suggestion for getting the crank bolt out is to remove the driver side splash guard and then remove the starter. Once its out of the way, take a flat head screw driver and wedge between the upper-most tooth and the housing for the flywheel when loosening the crank bolt, and at the bottom when tightening it. Impact drill or something like it is highly recommended
Anyway, thats my story. Only had the front end raised up onto some jack-stands, got it up there via a floor jack. My mechanic told me the job I did on my car was easily a $450-475 job! O_O so I'm glad I did it myself, cuz I could never afford that. The parts themselves cost a small fortune 
Especially those two pulleys!! They alone cost inexcess of $120, but if your car chirps like mine did, I highly recommend replacing them. You have to remove them to get at the timing belt anyway. I think I'm done now. Thanks for reading. heh
Greg
timing/alternator/power steering/waterpump belts (you have to take them all off anyway, might as well replace them if you havent done it recently), cam seal (x2) & crank seal (these might very well still be in good condition, but you should have them anyway), water pump, thermostat, maybe the two idler pulleys for your waterpump and power steering belts (mine where prone to chirping when it was wet/humid out and now there's no more chirp!! =D), PCV valve, and replacement plates for the ones that are between the crank-pulley and the crank cog, and between the cog and the block.
I *REALLY* messed mine up when I was pullin' them off, when I put it all back together, it made this really obnoxious clanging noise. Talked to my mechanic about it and he said that I could have left it on there and it would have smoothed itself out in a couple miles of road-wear. Its supposed to look like - but mine looked more like ~ hehe Its supposed to be absolutely flat. The second plate is shaped kinda like this ( and it kinda fits around the inside of the crank pulley. There's also a head temp sensor (think thats what its called) that could be replaced, but I didnt do it b/c I didnt even know it was there ahead of time.
All in all, starting in the early afternoon on a Friday, we had it essentially dont that night I think. But the afore-mentioned clanging noise made us wary and I pulled it all back apart the next morning b/c I thought I had tightened the timing belt too much or something. And then pulled it all back apart again when I realized it was that messed up plate making all the noise. Long story short, I made it a lot more work than it had to be because I didnt know what the noise was. I believe thats about everything.
When I got the cover off the timing belt, we twisted the crank shaft until the timing belt's marks lined up, and my belt was off a tooth (was back one notch or something) on the left cam. Now that I've got the new water pump & thermostat in there, my temperature gauge stays between 1/3 and 3/4 (used to go from almost Cold to almost Hot) and I no longer have any hesitation when really on the accelerator
I also replaced my fuel filter while I was in there, and dang is that thing a pain in the ***. Thank goodness I only have to do that once a year or so. Now all I have to do is look into my AC Compressor issues and my car will be like-new Just got some new Sumitomo SRIXON4 All-season 195/60-15s HR tires for like $42/ea at www.tirerack.com - apparently my alignment was fuct and it ate up my passenger side tires dont know how it got messed up. I avoid potholes and curbs like the plague and got my front end aligned not too long ago. Whatever... ruined 3 out of 4 1-2 year old Perelli Drago's.. and I got my passenger front strut replaced b/c apparently it was bad, and yet even with replacing the tires and the strut, Sears Tire & Battery still cant seem to actually properly allign my car and balance my tires.
Back on the topic of the timing belt job, my suggestion for getting the crank bolt out is to remove the driver side splash guard and then remove the starter. Once its out of the way, take a flat head screw driver and wedge between the upper-most tooth and the housing for the flywheel when loosening the crank bolt, and at the bottom when tightening it. Impact drill or something like it is highly recommended
Anyway, thats my story. Only had the front end raised up onto some jack-stands, got it up there via a floor jack. My mechanic told me the job I did on my car was easily a $450-475 job! O_O so I'm glad I did it myself, cuz I could never afford that. The parts themselves cost a small fortune Especially those two pulleys!! They alone cost inexcess of $120, but if your car chirps like mine did, I highly recommend replacing them. You have to remove them to get at the timing belt anyway. I think I'm done now. Thanks for reading. hehGreg
08-06-2003, 06:41 PM
#19
Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Marietta, GA
Posts: 104
As far as loosening the rocker shafts, I did it that way on my first one and it makes it real easy to position the cams, since you're not fighting valve spring tension. On the one I did recently, I just left the valve covers on, and didn't have much trouble.
If your valve covers are leaking at all, this might be a good chance to replace the gaskets, otherwise try it without loosening the rockers. The only thing that might happen, is when you have the belt off, if you move either cam sprocket much, it may jump a couple of teeth. It IS a little harder to get it back where it belongs, but in my opinion, it's easier than pulling the valve covers. If you have too much trouble positioning the cams, you can always pull the valve covers then.
A little trick I use to keep the belt in position, is to use a couple of small spring clamps to hold the belt on the cam sprockets while you feed it around the tensioner and crank pulley. Just line up the marks and then put a clamp at the top.
If your valve covers are leaking at all, this might be a good chance to replace the gaskets, otherwise try it without loosening the rockers. The only thing that might happen, is when you have the belt off, if you move either cam sprocket much, it may jump a couple of teeth. It IS a little harder to get it back where it belongs, but in my opinion, it's easier than pulling the valve covers. If you have too much trouble positioning the cams, you can always pull the valve covers then.
A little trick I use to keep the belt in position, is to use a couple of small spring clamps to hold the belt on the cam sprockets while you feed it around the tensioner and crank pulley. Just line up the marks and then put a clamp at the top.
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