General information
The main function of the toothed belt is to drive the camshaft from the crankshaft. In parallel, the belt is also used to drive the water pump of the engine cooling system. A slipping or broken timing belt while the engine is running can cause severe internal damage to the cylinder head due to valve contact with the piston crowns. The cause of such troubles can be a jamming of the water pump, wetting the belt with coolant flowing through a faulty pump seal, as well as severe wear or mechanical damage to the belt or belt teeth.
In view of the foregoing, it is extremely important to regularly check the correct adjustment of the belt tension and its general condition. These checks can only be carried out after the belt covers have been removed.
Removal of the inner section of the timing belt cover is included in the procedure for replacing the camshaft oil seal (see Section Camshaft oil seal replacement).
Removing
Timing Covers with Associated Components
1 - Upper belt cover; 2 - Bolt for fastening the top cover with a washer; 3 - Lower belt cover; 4 - Bolts for fastening the bottom cover; 5 - Crankshaft gear; 6 - Crankshaft pulley; 7 - Auxiliary drive belt; 8 - Bolt of the gear wheel of the crankshaft; 9 - Crankshaft pulley bolt
1. Before proceeding with the procedure, the engine and vehicle should be immobilized:
- a) Disconnect the negative cable from the battery.
Note. If your vehicle's stereo system is equipped with a security device, make sure you have the correct code to activate the audio system before disconnecting the battery.
- b) Chock the rear wheels of the vehicle and apply the parking brake. Move the manual transmission control lever to the neutral position;
- c) Loosen the right front wheel bolts, then jack up the front of the car and place it on jack stands.
2. In order to provide better access to the covers, remove the air cleaner and air sleeve from the mudguard of the wheel arch and exhaust manifold. Remove the engine oil dipstick and set it aside.
3. Hang the engine with a winch, or by supporting it with a hydraulic jack (in order to distribute the load, a wooden block should be laid between the head of the jack and the oil pan).
4. In several steps, loosen and remove the two power unit support bolts located directly under the crankshaft pulley. Remove washers.
5. Slightly lower the engine, providing free space for removal of a pulley of a cranked shaft.
6. Remove the accessory drive belt (see Section Removing, installing and adjusting the tension force of the auxiliary drive belt).
7. Holding the pulley from turning by the central bolt, turn out the four fixing bolts. Remove the pulley.
Note. To ensure reliable blocking of the pulley in the process of releasing the bolts of its fastening, engage a higher gear (do not forget to shift back to neutral after removing the pulley) and have an assistant depress the foot brake pedal firmly. You can also use a rubber cord/old drive belt by wrapping it tightly around the pulley.
8. Release the two latches, unscrew the bolt (on models of recent years of production - 2 bolts) and remove the timing belt top cover.
9. Release the rear latch, remove the two bolts and remove the lower belt cover. In order to provide access to the front bolt on models equipped with power steering or K / V, using the key put on the central bolt, take the side of the auxiliary drive belt tensioner by turning it clockwise. If necessary, the tensioner can be removed completely, for which you should give the central bolt by turning it counterclockwise and remove it together with the washer.
10. Bring the engine to TDC (see Section Bringing the piston of the first cylinder to the top dead center position (TDC) end of compression stroke).
11. Check up a belt on presence of factory indexes of a direction of rotation. If necessary, apply the appropriate marking yourself (if, of course, the belt is in satisfactory condition and is subject to further use).
12. Loosen the locknut and, allowing the tensioner to turn clockwise, loosen the belt.
13. Without turning the shafts, remove the belt from the gear wheels. Try not to twist the belt or excessively bend it.
14. Check the belt for traces of contamination with coolant or oil. If any are found, try to immediately identify the source of the leak and eliminate its cause. Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the leading edges of the teeth on the working side of the belt. A worn, dirty or defective belt must be replaced.
Note. Every 50,000 km (30,000 miles) mileage the belt should be changed regardless of its condition.
15. If the belt is not immediately installed back, a warning label should be hung on the engine in order to prevent accidental rotation of its shafts. For a guarantee, you can seal the ignition lock just in case.
Installation
1. Check the correct alignment of the alignment marks of the gears of both shafts (see Section Bringing the piston of the first cylinder to the top dead center position (TDC) end of compression stroke).
2. Put the belt on the gear wheel, first the crankshaft, then the water pump and finally the camshaft. Track observance of the demanded direction of rotation of a belt.
3. Avoid twisting, slide the belt with the smooth side under the tensioner pulley. Make sure that the front of the belt is taut, and that all the slack falls on the area under the tensioner pulley.
4. Slightly tighten the locknut, then with a bar wrench inserted into the adjustment hole, turn the tensioner eccentric assembly clockwise, taking out the slack in the belt.
5. Continue turning the tensioner until the sliding pointer aligns with the notch in the base plate of the assembly. Tighten locknut.
6. Using a socket wrench, turn the crankshaft two full turns on the gear bolt, again stopping it at the TDC position of the end of the compression stroke of the piston of the first cylinder. Make sure the alignment marks are correctly aligned (see Section Bringing the piston of the first cylinder to the top dead center position (TDC) end of compression stroke). Once again check the correct installation of the tensioner sliding pointer, if necessary, repeat the adjustment.
7. Check the correct functioning of the tensioner (see Section Removing, checking the condition and installing gears and timing belt tensioner).
8. Reinstall the lower and upper sections of the outer timing belt cover. Snap the latches and firmly tighten the mounting bolts.
Note. Bolts of fastening of the bottom cover are subject to replacement without fail.
9. Install the accessory drive belt pulley on the crankshaft sprocket, making sure that the small hole in the pulley hits the boss on the end surface of the gear. Screw in the mounting bolts and tighten them with the required force (block the pulley from turning).
10. Reinstall the accessory drive belt (see Section Removing, installing and adjusting the tension force of the auxiliary drive belt).
11. Raise the engine, ensuring that the right power unit mount can be connected.
12. Tighten bolts of fastening of the right support with the demanded effort. Remove jack/disconnect lifting rigging.
13. Connect the heated air supply hose to the exhaust manifold housing and air cleaner. Return the ignition and power systems to working condition.
14. Connect the negative cable to the battery.
15. In conclusion, check the correct setting of the ignition timing (see chapter Engine electrical equipment).