dr bob

Mark, see post #9. Has all the details.

soontobered84

Mark,
I think you might have lost credibility with the term "big vice grip" in relation to a timing belt replacement

But it probably would have been the same if you used the term "rubber mallet" in connection with timing belt replacement.

Both terms are like using the word "jackhammer" and describing brain surgery.

SeanR

And this is why I don't bother with Marks posts.

mark kibort

really?? do you have any idea how im using the vice grip??? its the best way ive found to hold the driver side cam gear. you are only using it to hold tension to the belt as you push gently the belt around the other side pulley. with a wrench, it slips too much and falls off the nut. the vice grip is a great way to do this in a way where things are not falling off around you. Im not using it to tighten anything.. ONLY to stay in place and allow to make belt tension

you might learn something....

mark kibort

you fail to mention that the tensioner roller has to be installed after the belt is in position. mine was a little more simple...... just wrap the belt up sans the passenger pulley, put on the tensioner roller arm, and keep tension on the driver side pulley in a counterclockwise fashion, where it is secured by the crank engagement. and get the driver side pulley to align on the marks.
the passenger side will slip right on the pulley. make sure the marks are aligned there, and move the pulley with the proper wrench or crescent wrench to advance or retard the pulley position to meet the alignment marks.

dr bob

Mark,

It takes extra effort to read your posts, since you have elevated yourself to my 'Ignore' list. For the benefit of others reading: Get the belt onto the driver's gear, forward engagement, then use a spring clamp to hold the belt indexed correctly on the gear. With all the tensioner bits installed, the last engagement is on the pass side gear. Use a 30mm wrench to turn the gear clockwise a little to angage the gear with the belt. Then use the same wrench to turn the gear counterclockwise to confirm that the indexing is correct. Add a tie wrap to both gears to hold the belt to the gear at this point, so you can fiddle the tensioner, no risk of the belt moving. Use the wrench on the pass side gear to pull the cam counterclockwise, creating all the slack at the tensioner if necessary. This is a method that many use, particularly those who do this more frequently. Keeps the belt and the gears indexed correctly, no need to remove and re-index after tension is finalized. Once the belt is snug, use your 32VR to do final indexing at TDC.

mark kibort

Bob, really... can you get any more childlish? ignore list?? why don't you just not read my posts... you have to "raise" yourself to a pedestal level??
Look, Im a grass roots racer and mechanic. Sometimes "we" can find ways to do things that work and are very easy. Ive shown plenty of these things here, and many have shown me even more. To insult one of "us" is a little rude.

you simplify it and offer your suggestion and forget to offer up the requirement of having to put the tensioner on AFTER the belt is fed through the system.

anyway, I don't and never have needed any clamps and in fact those clamps might even damage the belt. why not just wrap the belt pull it down on the driver side pulley and fit the belt from right to left as it slides over the top.
done, no fuss.

So, take it for what its worth. ive done this for many many years and lots of engines, so I can tell you it works and if helps anyone, great .. if you want to do it the way with a few more tools, that's great too.

Laddis

Thanks guys,

The problem was indeed inside the tensioner. The plunger rod must have missed either the hole on the last batch of bimetallic plates or not hit inside the seat of the piston properly. Thus thhe tensioner front assembly protrudet too far out making it impossible to get the tension roller in its slack position.

Still only have 33 plates in there though.. I will post some pictures.

Laddis

I think I ended up routing the TB as a mix of the above. Tensioner pulley installed first. Then TB on the crank and oil pump , then on the driver side maybe with the cam ever so sligthly offset clockwise of the mark, then around the wp. Then on the passenger side cam with a spanner on the 30 mm washer, again the cam a touch to the clockwise of the mark and engaged in the grooves. the pulling the TB taut counterclockwise with the spanner. Presto all marks spot on and TB can be eased onto the rest of the cam gear.

Could not have done this with the tensioner problem as described above.
Here some pics of the plunger and bimetallic discs (yes only 33, god knows where the other 2 are). The total lengt of this arrangement was 80mm.
Shown on the second picture is the plunger inside the tensioner in the "all slack" position.