I'm not a mechanic. Not even close. I'm a caregiver for disabled people in fact, which requires me to use my own car for work all day every day. Needless to say, my paycheck is pretty small and my car's maintenance needs are getting expensive. I've been doing as much work on it as I can on my own and learning as I go, but... well, this is my first really high stakes project.

As I understand it with interference engines, if you get the timing even a tooth off the engine explodes. If the belt breaks, the engine explodes. I need my engine not to explode. My mechanic wants around $1k to do the timing belt. I don't have that kind of money. The belt is way past due though, the water pump is leaking, and i ordered myself a kit.

Now... I could use all the help i can get with this. A step by step guide for people who don't know what they're doing would be great. Or just advice in general from anyone who has done this, and can give me a good idea of how not to cause a catastrophic engine failure. If i lose my car i'll be out of a job, and living paycheck to paycheck that's real bad. But that's also why I'd rather get this belt replaced sooner than later.

 

google "960 timing belt replacement" and check youtube for vids. Also look at http://www.volvotips.com/index.php/9...-manual/]Volvo 960 service & repair manual Most timing belts work the same way and your car doesn't have the variable valve timing so that simplifies things. Key is to mark the cam and crank timing, read up on how to align the cams to the crank or use a cam lock tool. when you are done, remember to hand crank clockwise to make sure you didn't grossly misalign before trying to start.

 

I've seen people advise hand cranking it a few rotations before starting, but no one explains why.

My assumption is if the timing were off you'd be able to feel a piston hitting a valve without doing damage to it so it could be corrected. Is that about right?

 

The idea of hand cranking the engine over twice is, as you guessed, to feel any interference from the timing being off. If you do things right and use the alignment marks, you shouldn't have a problem. But, you have a few challenges.

Your 1996 model has an automatic timing belt tensioner that will require you to slowly compress the tensioner in a vice and lock the pin. You need that tool to do the job right.

Then, you're going to need an impact gun to get the crankshaft bolt off to pull off the balancer. Both require some tools.

You don't have to deal with variable valve timing on a car that old so the parts swap is pretty straight forward.

I'd suggest that you pay to get this done properly. It is not just a belt, but also the idler and tensioner pulley that needs changed, too.

Get a high quality water pump.

 

Tools won't be a problem. Pretty much my main hobby is making things, and i have lots of woodworking tools, including an impact driver. Electric, not air powered, but it's pretty powerful and should do the job. I'd probably go with a breaker bar to break the bolt loose though, considering the location i don't know if i could get at it with an impact driver.

I got a whole kit for the job; pulleys, tensioner, water pump, everything since i don't know if or when any of this was last replaced. Got a new serpentine belt as well since i'll have to take that off anyway and I haven't replaced it in the 6 years i've had the car. I went for good quality parts. I can't afford to pay someone to do the work, it was hard enough for me to save up for just the parts needed, but I actually really like learning to do these things on my own instead of relying on a mechanic.