Cannot put New timing belt on!

jphelps · Post by **jphelps** » 29 Aug 2010, 00:21

1998 V70 T5

Today I put in a new water pump, idler pulley, idler tensioner pulley, and hydraulic tensioner. The problem has been getting the new belt on. I've counted the teeth and it's the same as the old belt but it seems too small. If I try to put the belt on after the hydraulic tensioner I can't pull enough on the tensioner pulley to get the belt on. I've tried the reverse and put the belt on first then tried the hydraulic tensioner. This way it's too tight to put the tensioner in place. Am I just week or is this typically a struggle?

vantassell · Post by **vantassell** » 29 Aug 2010, 04:25

Have you 'pulled the pin' on the tensioner yet?

Do you have the belt all the way on the crankshaft cogs? I thought I had it on, but really the belt had got caught on something, so it looked/felt on when it really wasn't.

I ended up having success putting the belt on one component at a time starting at the crankshaft, and then going counter-clockwise. So starting at the crankshaft, then the pully, camshafts, then the pully/tensioner, and then the crank again.

My belt came with a sticker to put on the case to mark when I changed it, it also has a picture of the belt routing. Double check to make sure you're routing it correctly.

If I see tomorrow you haven't figured it out, i'll take a picture of mine and post it up.

bigwong · Post by **bigwong** » 29 Aug 2010, 11:15

Is it a new tensioner or old? Keep the pin holding it compressed in until finished. I left the two bolts holding it on loose until the timing belt was completely on, tightened the bolts and then released the clip holding it in. Actually, I did it 3-4 times because it wasn't timed correctly the first couple. I used a hydraulic press to compress the tensioner but they say a vise works also.

jphelps · Post by **jphelps** » 29 Aug 2010, 13:13

Yes, it is a new tensioner with the pin still installed. I'm sure the routing is correct. It didn't occur to me but maybe the belt isn't correctly on the crankshaft. I'll go give it another whirl

vantassell · Post by **vantassell** » 29 Aug 2010, 15:07

I did a google search for images because i'm lazy and didn't want to go out to the car to take a picture.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... f=1&t=8803

I can't remember if I kept the bolts out of the tensioner like bigwong is saying, but I could see it helping.

swedehast · Post by **swedehast** » 29 Aug 2010, 22:01

I just finished going through the same thing ( see my recent posts a couple days ago ) I tried over a half dozen times, coouldn't figure what was wrong.

Next morning, fresh cup o' jo, thing went right on, didn't take 10 minutes.

Near as I can tell I DIDN'T have it routed cleanly. I started at the wheel well and made sure I had it wrapped around the crank pulley cleanly, felt by hand to make sure it wasn't hung up on something. When I first tried I didn't do that, I just sighted down from above and pulled tight.

When I started at the crank and ran my fingers around the crank pulley to be sure it was right, the fitment complete to crank rotation checking the marks didn't take 5 minutes.

Good luck

vantassell · Post by **vantassell** » 30 Aug 2010, 01:30

haha, I did the exact same thing swedehast. I looped it around (what I thought was) the crankshaft and pulled it tight. Only after I felt with my fingers did I realize that it had gotten caught up on something. It's funny that everyone else does the same thing.

jphelps · Post by **jphelps** » 30 Aug 2010, 02:19

swedehast wrote:I just finished going through the same thing ( see my recent posts a couple days ago ) I tried over a half dozen times, coouldn't figure what was wrong.

Next morning, fresh cup o' jo, thing went right on, didn't take 10 minutes.

Near as I can tell I DIDN'T have it routed cleanly. I started at the wheel well and made sure I had it wrapped around the crank pulley cleanly, felt by hand to make sure it wasn't hung up on something. When I first tried I didn't do that, I just sighted down from above and pulled tight.

When I started at the crank and ran my fingers around the crank pulley to be sure it was right, the fitment complete to crank rotation checking the marks didn't take 5 minutes.

Good luck

I was fighting it for over an hour the other night. Woke up this morning, went out to try again and I got in on in maybe 3 minutes. I can't explain it other than maybe fatigue, frustration, or it getting too dark to see properly. Taking a breather on certain occasions can really save yourself from a headache. Overall not too difficult a job.

T64me · Post by **T64me** » 09 Aug 2015, 10:28

Glad I found this old thread. I was also having a hell of a time - seemed the belt was just too short. If you are having the same issue I suggest you put your fingers behind the crankshaft pulley/harmonic balancer at the bottom. Feel where the belt is versus where it should be. In my case I discovered that there is something in this area that the belt gets hung up on. I twisted the belt, pushed it past whatever it is that it was hung up on, and then things got MUCH EASIER!

Post by **cn90** » 09 Aug 2015, 11:18

It is round knob on the oil pump that usually prevents the TB from sliding in properly.