Timing Belt Guide

[BCX]

Hey Guys,

I'm about to do my timing belt/waterpump in the next few weeks. Would people here benefit from a guide if i were to write it?

I'm happy to document and take photos, etc unless of course this has already been covered.

Thoughts?

 

[MackTheKnife]

Hell yeah. I'm doing mine the service after next. Every bit of advice helps.

 

[Macca]

Definitly a good idea. You can't have too many guides.

 

[naughtika]

just make sure that you add youre 'disclaimer' and it'll all be schweet!!

 

[Murph]

How'd you go with this BCX? I need to do this job soon, so keen for any help!

 

[Pantera6]

Came across this "old" thread while doing some research on this topic; I've found a good online video that explains the belt change on a Mitsubishi 3000 VR4 (6G72 engine). It appears the timing belt configuration is very similar to the 6A13 engines. Video is here:

Part 1:

Part 2:

 

[Kaldek]

That's a good video from the guys at RealFixesRealFast. Where they use a screwdriver to get the belt tight however is overkill. The existing guide at Club VR4 where it tells you to *slightly* turn the crank anti-clockwise is the better option. Please don't take this as the definition of "slightly" though - read the guide.

 

[wintertidenz]

It's far easier to have the crank one tooth out and then hook the belt around then turn it. It takes all that slack out of the belt and gets it nice and tight.

I noted that they didn't do the cam or crank seals either, it's far easier to do it with everything out than to mess around with it later (belt off job!)

 

[Kaldek]

It's far easier to have the crank one tooth out and then hook the belt around then turn it. It takes all that slack out of the belt and gets it nice and tight.

That's what I was alluding to.

Also, camshaft seals can be a real bitch if you don't have a tool to hold the cam sprocket *really* tight. The last one is also really hard to get to and pull out without nicking the seal bore. I think a dedicated guide for the cam seals is almost in order.

 

[wintertidenz]

For the camshaft seals sometimes it's easier to just remove the rocker covers (you're replacing the rocker cover and spark plug seals anyway, right?) and undo the end cap on the cam so you can slide the seal out.
An alternative is to drill a small hole and get a pick or something similar that's strong enough to hook it out - you need one each side. Self tapping screws also work if you are really careful.

However if you're talking about undoing the cam sprocket bolt - holding it with a spanner and then using a rattle gun has always worked brilliantly for me. You can also crack the bolts with the old cambelt on as long as you hold at least one cam firmly, as the belt will hold tension on the rest.

To be honest, for a cambelt job it's far easier to have a decent rattle gun - it makes undoing the crank bolt easier, cam bolts come off in seconds, and for other bits on the car it makes everything a lot quicker (ideally don't use it to tighten everything up though, that's what ratchets and a torque wrench are for).