Orest

I've set aside two days to tackle the TB and water pump. I also plan to replace all the front seals. Is it necessary to drain the oil, since I assume it will all be in the sump?

Simon Jester

I just did this. It took about 14 hours of work.

You have to remove the oil filler and dipstick tubes to get at the belt. The oil level is a tad above the bottoms of these things.

Once you get the front in the air, just drain the oil and DON'T FORGET to refill it when you're done.

Orest

Thanks Simon!
Fortunately for me I have access to a lift and pneumatic tools. Hopefully it won't take me as long as 14 hours!!

Simon Jester

You're welcome.

I was using pneumatic tools. It's just a big job. I bet I could do it a LOT faster the second time.

BTW, I used the aftermarket tensioner. Very cool little tool.

Lagavulin

Rebuild your tensioner while you're in their too; o-ring, boot, block-gasket, both pulleys, and pulley bushings(2).

The tensioner is a 'little' job all unto itself, and took more time that I thought it would. But then again, it was the first time I ever did it. Squeezing the gear-lube bottle for nearly 10 minutes to refill the tensioner was probably the worse part.

Perhaps you have a pneumatic oil squirter too?

Greg86andahalf

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica"> Squeezing the gear-lube bottle for nearly 10 minutes to refill the tensioner was probably the worse part. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">The bleeder (and filler) has a miniscule hole for the oil to pass through when filling. Remove the filler screw (or bleeder), loosen the drain screw (or bleeder) and pump the oil into the tensioner housing where the filler screw was with a small pump-style oil can. Takes 30 seconds. When the oil comes out the bleed (bottom) hole, replace both screws, your' re done.
<img src="http://members.rennlist.com/gh/tensoil.JPG" alt=" - " />

IMPORTANT- The manual calls for adjusting the belt tension BEFORE adding the oil. It seems that if you add the oil first and then adjust tension, you can create oil pressure in the tensionser which can cause a gasket leak and the oil will run out (ask me how I know this!)
Turn the crank around by hand to rotate the belt a couple of times and re-check tension after adding the oil.

Greg

Greg

Erik - Denmark

Orest,
I do not mean that's necessary to drain the oil for doing the timing belt job - I didn't
Sorry Simon

SteveG

Greg: Re tension belt before oil. Any idea why turning the crank by hand creates pressure that a motor at rev doesn't do?

Greg86andahalf

Steve,

That's not my point. As I see it, If the tensioner is loose and filled with oil, when the tensioner is tightened the oil gets pushed and has to go somewhere You could leave the bleeder loose to let some of the oil escape, but the manual says to set the tension and then fill the housing with oil.

Hand-cranking the engine and re-checking tension is a separate matter. It's just good practice to double-check tension after the tensioner oil is in.

Greg

PeteS

According to the picture of the tensioner in the shop manuals, there's a valve in the piece that the "O" ring fits onto. (#13 on page 15-24 of the manuals) I'm guessing that the valve allows for the oil to move from one side of the assembly to the other as it moves back and forth. At least I kind of hope so. I just finished mine, and now you've got me trying to remember if I tensioned then filled, or filled then tensioned.

Orest

Well, I got started today and only have a couple of glitches so far:

1) Snapped both bolts to the thermostat housing (my brother's fault)
2) Snapped one of the tensioner bolts (my brother did it again)
3) Lost one water pump bolt (my uncle who was helping also)
4) Removed TB with plugs in and both cams moved backwards a centimeter due to the compression I guess. I plan to just move the cams back into sync after removing a few plugs, I marked everything at TDC with white out.
5) No idea how to rebuild the tensioner although I have a kit from 928 Specialists. (My fault) Forgot to research this one beforehand. My tensioner looks different from what's in the manual, can't see any bleed or fill holes.

Does anybody with an '83 have a similar situation? Searching archives and nichols site right now.

Orest

Just checked my manual again and it seems that I have an older style tensioner, without the hex nut fill and bleed holes. How do I bleed and fill it then?

Greg86andahalf

Orest,
Manual pages 15-20. 21, 22 show the old-style tensioner and describe filling the tensioner 1/3 with oil prior to installing.

Pete, You're right about the valve. That's it's purpose. If the gasket's not leaking, you should be fine. If you installed a new belt, you're going to do a tension re-check soon anyway. I wouldn't sweat it.

The reason I pointed out the tension-then-fill info is because when I filled-then-tensioned last year, I had a leak and had to add oil periodically throughout the year. I know the gasket was installed properly and the tensioner torqued to spec. It bothered me that the leak was there, as it shouldn't have happened. I have read others mentioning that they had a leak after installing the tensioner. I recently replaced the tensioner gasket and read everything I could find about the tensioner so as not to create the same leak again. That's when I saw the manual description of adding oil, then tensioning. Worked like a charm. no leak.

BrianG

I used a meter of clear aquarium tubing of the size that fits the tensioner's oil-fill nipple, and created a siphon from the oil can which I hung from the hood-latch.

I continued working on the rest of the engine bay issues that I had still remaining, and just watched for the over-flow nipple to start to leak. No great effort required to do that nasty little PITA job!! It took about an hour to self-fill.