To make the job go smoothly, I determined I should purchase 4 tools I did not have:
- Cam gear locking tool
30mm or 1-3/16" 6 point socket
Stubby T45 bit (1-1/4" length total)
Stubby 3/8" extension (1-1/2" length total Snap-On makes a nice version)
I also chose to drain my radiator fluid, from both the nipple on the radiator as well as the one on the block - a brass nipple about 5" above the passenger's side axle journal. I later chose to disconnect the bottom hose and electrical connector of the overflow container so I didn't have to keep working around it, which is not shown in the itemized list below.
Tips
This is not a complete how-to, but rather a supplement to the how-to videos you need to go watch before jumping in. You should watch RobertDIY and FCP's video with Ben for a visual understanding.
The timing marks on the cam gears are hard to see. Highly recommended to add dots of paint or marker to make them easier to see.
One thing that is debated is to remove or not remove the harmonic balancer. My philosophy (which is not evident from the long list that follows) is, why remove something if you don't have to? In this case, I also don't own an impact wrench, and I was not going to use the "starter method' with the car jacked up in the air. Bottom line is, you simply don't need to remove it. The penalty is, you will have to spend some time figuring out how to remove the old belt from the crank gear just behind the balancer, and there is a protrusion from the block to within 1/4" of the back of it, bottom center, which is your main obstacle. There are smaller obstacles on the left and right side of center. You work from the top down - remove the belt from all the gears and pulleys except the crank. Now go from the bottom, and clear the smaller obstacles. On the left, the plastic inner timing belt cover against the block has extends behind the balancer. Work the belt out, by flexing the teeth outward towards you (smooth side towards block) from 10:00 down to about 7:00. Then, clear the belt of the bosses of the mounting bolts for the shield that you removed, which are roughly at 2:00 and 3:30, by again flexing the teeth towards you and away from the engine. Now you need to work the belt back and forth, to clear the protrusion at the bottom. Putting your head on something to hold it up off the floor is a tip in a YT video, and this actually worked for me. Don't force the belt. It DOES come out if you get it at the right angle. I spent 15 minutes on my knees initially, fighting with it. Once I got into a relaxed position, it took only 5 minutes for it to pop out.
If you want to cheat, and miss out on the experience, you can cut the timing belt. But are you confident you can get the new one in? And is it the right length? If you cut it, there is no turning back.
The new belt takes less than a minute to slip in, behind the balancer. You know where the obstacles are (itemized above), if you took the time to know how to get the old one out. Flex it with the teeth outward, just like before. Now the trick is, with all the marks aligned from turning the engine, there is no slack on the length of belt from the right side of the crank gear up to the intake cam, and over to the exhaust cam. Thus, you may not be able pull the new belt tight enough as you work up that right side, and slip in onto the intake cam gear without using an extra tooth of the belt. This will cause your timing to be off by a tooth. One way to solve this is to rotate the engine backwards ever so slightly - perhaps 1/2 a tooth at the crank pulley. This will allow you just the right amount of slack to pull tightly and get the teeth engaged at the right spot, instead of off by one or two. Once the belt is engaged, rotate the engine back clockwise (forward) ever so slightly, and when the belt is tight the crank should again be aligned with the mark on the oil pump cover. The cams are still where they belong if you have the cam lock installed. Once you think you have the belt on correctly, the cam lock is removed and you rotate the engine and check to make sure all three align at the same time. You can be off by a few teeth while turning by hand, and not damage the motor.
It can be a challenge to keep the belt engaged in the crank sprocket, while threading the belt against the idler and onto the intake cam gear, then onto the exhaust sprocket, while not letting the belt on the left side of the crank sprocket go slack - which then lets the belt slip on the crank sprocket - creating slack on the right side and making the timing off by a tooth. Watch out for this.
It is recommended to install the tensioner before the belt. This is because there is very little "extra" slack/length of the belt, and you can't work the tensioner into place against the belt which is pushing back against you in the tight space between the wheel well and the motor, and get the bolts installed. However, if you find yourself in the situation of having to remove the tensioner to reset it, this CAN be done without removing the timing belt from the sprockets and starting over from the bottom up. You don't want to have to do this unless you are an expert. I found that with tension from torqueing the crank sprocket slightly kept the belt from the crank through the two sprockets taut - and I was able to press the tensioner up into place, and get the bottom bolt installed, and then the top one. This is a real time saver.
The plastic spacer on top of the tensioner is installed AFTER the tensioner pin is pulled. If you do it prior, the piece can go flying when the pin is pulled.
Here is another observation. One YT video shows that when aftermarket and purported OEM replacement parts were used, the new timing belt did not track properly. It took several installations of belts and pulleys to get it right. After I watched this, I bought the Volvo kit. There was no way I was going to waste time taking a chance on a similar outcome. It is bad enough to do this job once. The Volvo kit (belt, tensioner pulley, idler pulley) came with the plastic spacer. It can be purchased separately.
Once I was done with this job, and fought through redoing parts of it, I did come to believe I did not need the cam lock tool. The cams do not rotate easily and should stay in place. If you need to move them, the jaws of a pair of channel locks can be inserted into the holes.
Procedure
1. Drive front of car onto ramps, apply parking brake, block rear tires
2. Break FR tire lug nuts loose
3. Disconnect air tube to computer box
4. Drain radiator (about 112 ounces)
5. Drain block (about 8 ounces)
6. Jack up subframe, remove FR tire
7. Remove plastic nut in wheel well, pull back liner flap and clamp open (10mm)
8. Swing overflow container over engine
9. Remove serpentine belt (19mm x 19mm square tool to release tension)
10. Remove serpentine tensioner
11. Remove cover from throttle assembly, exposing right end of fuel rail
12. Release fuel pressure at Schrader valve on right end of fuel rail
13. Disconnect fuel line at right end of fuel rail (17mm and 14mm open end)
14. Remove timing belt cover (12mm)
15. Locate timing marks on cam gears, and highlight with marker/paint
16. Rotate engine to align timing marks with notches in top cover and between crank gear and oil pump cover (30mm or 1-3/16in)
17. Insert cam lock
18. Remove fuel line clamps if necessary (T27)
19. Remove spark plug cover (T30)
20. Remove spark plugs (16mm or 5/8in deep)
21. Remove top of timing belt cover (two 12mm)
22. Loosen bottom tensioner bolt two turns (from wheel well) (12mm)
23. Remove top tensioner bolt (from above) (12mm)
24. Pry tensioner to left to release tension
25. Remove lower bolt and tensioner
26. Remove crank belt guard (two 10mm)
27. Remove timing belt, starting from top down
28. Remove tensioner idler pulley (T45 stubby)
29. Remove idler (two 12mm)
30. Remove water pump through wheel well (seven 10mm)
31. Clean block and install water pump gasket on block
32. Install new water pump through wheel well (15 ft pounds in zig zag patterm)
33. Install idler
34. Install tensioner idler pulley
35. Compress tensioner SLOWLY, install pin
36. Install tensioner from wheel well (save plastic spacer to install later)
37. Rotate crank backwards (CCW) ½ tooth or less at crank gear if needed to provide sufficient slack to install belt in step 37
38. Install belt, eliminating slack upwards from crank gear to intake cam gear
39. Install top timing belt cover
40. Remove cam lock
41. Turn crank twice and check timing marks (adjust belt teeth on cams if needed and repeat)
42. Release tensioner pin
43. Install plastic clip at top of tensioner (press halfway in by hand, use pry bar to press home)
44. Replace crank guard
45. Install timing belt cover
46. Reconnect fuel line
47. Reinstall fuel line clamps
48. Install serpentine tensioner
49. Install serpentine belt
50. Swing radiator overflow back
51. Install spark plugs
52. Install top cover of engine
53. Replace radiator fluid
54. Fold wheel well liner flap back into place, install plastic nut
55. Install tire and snug lug bolts in star pattern
56. Release hydraulic jack
57. Tighten lug bolts