1998 V70 XC how tight should the timing belt be?

SA22C · Post by **SA22C** » 19 Aug 2015, 13:16

Hello folks,

Did the timing belt on my V70 XC and it seems like the timing belt is a little loose. I can push down with my finger from the top between the two cams and deflect the belt maybe a half inch. Does this seem ok?

I used a new hydraulic tensioner and re-used the nylon bushing that sits on top of the tensioner cylinder. Got it bolted up and pulled the pin and then it got a little bit tighter after a few minutes or so but didn't really seem to get as tight as I expected. That said, I didn't check the old belt to see how tight it was. Rookie mistake!

I'm obviously nervous as this is my first timing belt change and I don't want to start the car and have it jump a cog and wreck the head. I'm used to working on RX-7s, which don't have any of these fancy cams or timing belts.

Any insight on how taut the belt should be would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Scholz · Post by **Scholz** » 19 Aug 2015, 14:13

Did the timing marks line back up after a few revolutions of manually turning the crank? I just happen to have my cover off on my 98 s70t5 and I have some deflection there as well, but I'm 55k into this belt.

Post by **erikv11** » 19 Aug 2015, 14:37

1/2 inch is too loose if you have cycled the belt and it is up to tension. How many belt teeth are there between the cam sprockets? There should be 14 free teeth, the 15th tooth and 16th tooth will be mostly recessed into the valleys on the sprockets.

SA22C · Post by **SA22C** » 19 Aug 2015, 15:08

Hmm. I have 18 free-ish teeth between cams. The new belt has the same number of teeth as the old one (148) and was part of this kit: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinf ... 52&jpid=12

I haven't put the timing cover back on the engine yet but from my eyeball, the timing marks and the crank marking seem to be in the same place as they were when I started.

Maybe I should try the old tensioner to see if it gets things any snugger. Just have to get the pin compressed back into the housing...

Post by **rspi** » 19 Aug 2015, 15:37

You should be fine. Find something else to worry about.

Post by **rspi** » 19 Aug 2015, 15:58

Just a note, if you plan to keep the car for a while you really want to consider using OEM Volvo parts on critical maintenance and electronic items in the future.

SA22C · Post by **SA22C** » 19 Aug 2015, 17:46

Thanks for the comments! I watched your youtube video before I started the job, rspi. If you think the belt's tight enough, that's good enough for me.

Post by **RussB** » 19 Aug 2015, 18:43

Beck/Arnley is a fancy name for cheap-ass junk parts