Timing belt question

[Buck]

Alright, so I think it is time to put on these belts, started to hear some squealing when I start up in the cold. Even if the ones that are in there are fine, I already ordered the new ones last year and never put them on.

Now I know how to get to them, but I have never put on a timing belt or adjusted myself, there has always been someone to do it. Not because I am lazy, but if I ask for help, they usually just do it with out showing me how to do something. really annoying.

So after reading up on how to do the timing belts, I keep seeing the posts on "check to make sure your timing is lined up" one way or an other, use a chalk line or something. but no one ever says how to fix it if the timing marks don't line up.

How do you fix it if the timing is off? I have yet to find this out. And would like to know since I plan on trying to do it myself, (with some help of course :whistling:

 

[joedrum]

this is a mouthful for me ... and i dont do words good someonre please help ... dont even start till you have it all figured out is the first thing to be said

 

[Buck]

joedrum » Mon May 19, 2014 2:34 pm[/url]":efs7agbi]
this is a mouthful for me ... and i dont do words good someonre please help ... dont even start till you have it all figured out is the first thing to be said

This is why I am asking. Because no one (from the places I have looked) has ever addressed this issue. I will not work on it if I do not get the full scoop

 

[Ansimp]

Buck once the belt(belts) is off you can move the two cam gears and the crank individually. The main trick to make life easier is to get the covers off and wind the engine over until you can check the alignment before removing the belts. You will need to do a couple of full revolutions ( 2 complete rotations of the crank for one cycle) to feel where top dead center is for number one. If you pull the plugs out first revolving the engine is a lot easier. Before pulling the belts make sure your marks are all aligned and if any have moved you will know which one, remember the crank mark is the base mark that the cams are timed off so it must be on its mark to figure out where the cams should be.
I just did the timing belt on the 07 Forester twice as I had to change the water pump back to the original and the second time was a real pain, belt kept jumping, tensioner slipping and idler pulley wouldn't line up. Just take your time and make sure that you have tension on the driven side of the belts when you set the marks and teeth position. Remember to do some more revolutions by hand winding over the engine until you can check that all marks still line up and nothing binds. Just go slow and double check everything..

You can see how the one belt can be a pain to get all lined up at once in this photo

New timing belt install

• Ansimp
• May 15, 2014

In the early Subaru EA 82 engines the procedure was to instal one belt then rotate the engine 180 degrees and the instal the second one. Many experienced mechanics stuffed up engines by not knowing this peculiar procedure for replacing timing belts.

 

[Steve83]

After you have the belts on and the tensioners tightened, you've turned the crank by hand several revolutions, lined up the marks, and either side is off by a tooth or more, you simply line up the crank timing mark (T1), loosen the tensioner, slip the belt off the cam sprocket while holding the cam from turning. When the belt is free, turn the cam slightly to line the mark up, slip the belt back on, and tighten the tensioner. It might take several tries, but just be patient. It's extremely critical that everything lines up!!!

The first time I did this job with the engine in the bike, it took me 4 attempts to get it right. Even with the valve adjusters all the way loose, the right cam still wants to turn a bit. I use a breaker bar and 12mm socket on the cam bolt to hold it.

You'll get really good at it after 2 or 3 times.

 

[dan filipi]

I never see mentioned how to get the belt placed on both the cam pulley and the crank pulley with the idler pulley still bolted on the block. Loose but still sitting there in the way.
I have always found it easiest to remove the idler all together, set the belt on both pullies, then while holding down on the idler side of the belt, bolt the idler back on and attach the spring.

Any comments about this?

 

[brianinpa]

dan filipi » Mon May 19, 2014 5:47 pm[/url]":2u4kujth]
I never see mentioned how to get the belt placed on both the cam pulley and the crank pulley with the idler pulley still bolted on the block. Loose but still sitting there in the way.
I have always found it easiest to remove the idler all together, set the belt on both pullies, then while holding down on the idler side of the belt, bolt the idler back on and attach the spring.

Any comments about this?

I don't remove the idler completely but rather loosen it as far as I can go without removing it, but it does make it a lot easier the looser it is.

 

[joedrum]

ok i am going to try to add pointers ...

timing belt covers and valve covers should remain off ... and be the last things that go back on

as mention back off the valve adjusters till there flush with the bottom of the rockers and snuged with lock nut so nat to come out .. as mention this wil make it esier

take plugs out ...sink piston 1/2 way down in cylinders one piston 1/2 way down ..all pistons are 1/2 way down.... before taking belts off

once belts are off ... the cam pulleys have up wrote on then ...turn both cam pulleys till up is showing on the high side of center line..

put motor crankshaft to Ti one position ...at back of motor under timing screw cover

go to forum pulley pics ... there somewhere and study the timing marks ..and the false marks sheesh have no clue why they are there marks that mean nothing but disaster

put on left inside belt ... this on goes rather easy .. but first time might be rough ....

left belt as said is a bitch .. do as steve said seems best

if you get through the belts thing and think its right ..use crank bolt to turn motor many times by hand then walk away awhile come back do it again ...

if all that seems good adjust valves .... there is info here on that too in tech section

go through the whole turn by hand thing again its manditory .. i think this part bit brian just the other day ... he was lucky and stop ..no damage

do final adjustment on belt tension ... there is a free spot on each side where valve springs do not impact on belt adjust tensioner here me i di 1/4" defection in belt as my choice

put valve cavers back on ...plugs in .. and start up ..

others check this post and make sure i didnt screw it up :heat: :mrgreen:

 

[Steve83]

On the tensioners, I loosen them up, pull them out against their spring, then snug the bolt to hold them in place. After the belt is on, with no slack in the "pull" side and the marks lined up, release the tensioner. The spring will pull the tensioner into the belt, taking up the loose slack.

 

[toytender01]

Got all that????? :smilie_happy: Good luck.!!!!!!!!!

 

[Joep]

I used Roady's front engine renewal to do my belts on my 81.. walked right through the process.. only problem was a odd mark that threw the timing off.. my fault not his.. link is here.. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=257&p=2143&hilit=Roady%27s+timing+belt#p2143

 

[brianinpa]

Joep » Mon May 19, 2014 11:26 pm[/url]":1h53sjdt]
I used Roady's front engine renewal to do my belts on my 81.. walked right through the process.. only problem was a odd mark that threw the timing off.. my fault not his.. link is here.. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=257&p=2143&hilit=Roady%27s+timing+belt#p2143

I am guilty of doing that same thing...

 

[ekvh]

"then snug the bolt to hold them in place." That's a good tip, Steve83. When putting the belts on the cam gear, I hold the cam gear with a wrench and attach the belt onto the teeth from the straight side of the belt, not the tensioner side. When you release it the cam will move a bit because the tensioners aren't set yet, but since the teeth are correct, it corrects itself when the tensioner is released.

 

[Joep]

I rotated mine by hand and it locked up.. loosened the valves and it turned free.. tee sinister valves and checked by hand.. locked up.. that got me looking at the timing marks

 

[brianinpa]

Joep » Tue May 20, 2014 7:47 am[/url]":2fjzwtzx]
I rotated mine by hand and it locked up.. loosened the valves and it turned free.. tee sinister valves and checked by hand.. locked up.. that got me looking at the timing marks

Mine was off by one tooth. I was able to turn it through freely (at least five revolutions) by hand without any problem and I did not loosen the valves before I started. The only way I found that I was off by a tooth was by the tapping sound I heard when I fired it up.

 

[joedrum]

:clapping: mr lucky ...good move to stop running it :ahem:

 

[backlander]

The marks on the pulleys are very deceptive. I was reading through the 1200 service manual last night happened upon this information. Notice the bold printed line above the diagram. "Use the dots....not grooves....timing marks."

 

[dan filipi]

backlander » Tue May 20, 2014 10:09 am[/url]":9jjt7c3s]
The marks on the pulleys are very deceptive. I was reading through the 1200 service manual last night happened upon this information. Notice the bold printed line above the diagram. "Use the dots....not grooves....timing marks."

Yes they are confusing.
Easy to forget too so I had made a video showing the 2 marks and detailing the dots as being the correct one. It's in the Forum Directory.

 

[backlander]

I was looking for that last night but couldn't find it, Thanks Dan.

 

[mcgovern61]

NOTE...BEFORE you start pulling ANYTHING off, rotate the crank and pulley's until they are at the correct marks and the timing is all lined up correctly. Then, take white out and mark both of the pulley's with the white out along with the fixed marks. Also, make a vertical straight line mark on the crank pulley and the area right above it so that you a perfect reference to when the crank is in the right spot as well as lining up the camshaft pulley's.

(As a matter of fact, my '83 engine is out and on the floor. I am going to have to create a pic of these markings for future reference.)

BTW, I do not normally back off my valves since I learned to do this procedure expecting the right side to have tension on it and be out of place. This is where the whiteout marks are invaluable.