In the MVS tradition of learning from others’ mistakes, here’s the equivalent of a 12-credit, 400-level university course 😉
thecheat » So my father and I started at 11:30 today doing my timing belt and water pump. I bought the IPD timing kit with the idlers and tensioner. I had bought a water pump later after realizing I should do it at the same time.
We used Ozark Lee’s timing belt directions which were quite detailed and we were going along well removing stuff until we got to the accessory belt tensioner. Used a chop saw to cut off about 1.5″ of a square cold chisel that was slightly larger than the square hole in the tensioner, then trimmed it down to fit. I don’t have any real tidbits to share that weren’t outlined in the writeup but I will say that removing things from the “front” of the engine was absolute hell. The water pump was the worst because it had some kind of thread lock compound on long bolts with almost no room to swing the ratchet.
Most of our time was spent on getting the timing marks to line up. We kept getting one tooth off and had to reset the tensioner three times. You can do that fairly quickly if you turn the vise a few degrees till you get resistance, wait a moment, turn again, repeat until it’s back in. I suppose some sort of hydraulic goo is in there that needs to squish back in through a baffle or something.
Our final method was lining up the crank marks, turning the intake cam clockwise a little bit to pull back the slack in the belt, then going CCW to line up the intake marks. Then we did the same thing to the exhaust cam, rocking it forward to pull the slack out of the belt and then bringing it back to the two marks. Then we put the tensioner back on, pulled pin, and turned the engine over by hand.
I noticed a few things.. 1. It looks like original Volvo plug with three anodes, are these factory or have they been replaced? Some doofus didn’t use anti-sieze in the threads. 2. My water pump bearing was going and the timing idler was wearing out as well. My car has around 140k so it’s good I did them now. 3. I need a new accessory belt and tensioner. 4. I have no idea when the timing belt was done but it is the second one and looks pretty good. It was stretched enough to eyeball when held up with the new belt. 5. Oil under the spark plug cover indicates failing PCV system, no?
Butt dyno says that the car is peppier but still smelly at idle – probably the original O2 sensors. The boost gauge has NEVER gone as far over to the right as it did on the way home – which I attribute to the car being more “in tune”. The needle was around the 3/4 mark. Car is still a pig off idle, I had no time to adjust the wastegate solenoid.
I could not find Zerex coolant anywhere so I bought the yellow Prestone… I didn’t flush the coolant, just replaced what was emptied.
Lee, thanks for the writeup!!! I owe you a beer!
Timing belt and water pump = MISERABLE SEVEN HOUR ORDEAL!
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Last Updated on May 4, 2023
