I have been reading about the timing belt job for quite some time. I think I have it down but have a couple of questions.

Let's say that after you get the work done and are in the process of putting the new belt on and one or both of the cams move or the crank. Is there a process for moving them to their correct spot. Or, can you just move the thing in the direction that is easiest. For instance, if you intake cam is off 6 teeth in the clockwise direction can you just move it 6 teeth counter clockwise? Same question applies to the crank.

Also, it sounds like the belt can be a real pain getting it around the crank. Would it help to take the dampener off? Maybe I am wrong but it seems like you can remove some of the pulley that may give you more clearance.

Thanks again.

 

It takes quite a bit to move the cams and even more to move the crank pulley. Some people use a cam locking tool but I never have. I do notremove the harmonic balancer (crank pulley) when I do mine because it is more work than threading the new belt around the little protrusion on the bottom of the block. If you do decide to remove the pulley,loosen all of the bolts to finger tight and re-establish #1 TDC before you remove the belt.

The old belt seems harder to get off (around the protrusion at the bottom below the harmonic balancer) than it is to get the new belt on so I just use a pair of tin snips and cut the old belt in half to remove it.

The real secret to life is getting the new belt taught from the harmonic balancer, across the idler, and onto the intake cam. From there everything goes smooth and you can pull the grenade pin. Roll it through at least two revolutions by hand after you pull the pin and then recheck the timing marks before you try to start it.

...Lee

 

I use correction fluid onto the camshafts to enhance the tiny timing marks. The vee notch (timing mark) on the crank pulley is hardly visible, but my 850 had a large botch on the pulley side, which no one seems to have. Not sure if it came from the factory or the previous owner put something there.

I had difficulty getting the new belt past the protrusion than to remove the old belt. Once you get the hang of it, the job becomes much easier. Like Lee, I do not remove the crank pulley.


JPN

 

I never have needed to remove the crank pulley, Just a little patience and the old belt will come off and new one will go on. I too enhance the timing marks as JPN advised. Lastly, DEFINITELY rotate the motor several times by hand to ensure all is well before starting it

 

I have my son in law do mine cause I can not see the marks no matter how hard I try. He did mark things with correction fluid like JPN suggested though.

 

To answer your first question YES you can move the cams by hand if they move out of position, no harm will be done moving them slightly (although I didn't rotate them 360 degrees, just a wiggle here and there).

I doubt you'll be 6 teeth off I had to adjust mine a tooth or two but that was it. I was really **** about lining them up "perfectly" but in the end they were slightly off center to allow for the belt to be tight coming up the idler pulley and over the intake cam.