timing belt?

[fty]

Me and my dad did my timing belt today.....no you dont need the 500 dollar tool.....get the factory manual.....it cost me 60 bucks for both belts and the car runs much smoother and is a bit more rev happy,, It was about 3.5 hrs of labor since it was both of our first times doing it...best 60bucks ive ever spent..-chris

[ae1969]

Good Job FTY!!!!

It freaked me out the first time doing the belts...

Checking your belt by feel, when the engine is cold (it actually feels quite loose compared to most belts on a car)..............and then Running the car for a while.........it gets so tight!!! its not even funny. Freaked the crap out of me the first time........

With the Porsche tool the tension readings went from about 3.5 to 7.5 .........(engine expansion)....freaky......and by feel I thought the belt was going to snap when the engine was warm....

After checking the belt 20 million times with the tool and by feel (hypochondriac), and waking up in the night in cold sweats wondering if the belt was going to snap!!!

....... I think if you do it by feel and follow the 90 degree turn rule it should work just fine......

If I were you... just listen to your car, especially when cold.... if you hear any front end noise, clicking clacking...and whatever else... it may be too loose. Check the plastic covers for any wear and tear from loose belt play....... and when its hot...if it starts to whine ...its too tight............(first 2,000 clicks are critical)

....were your front seals in good shape, any oil???

[Rollins]

I would get it tensioned by a pro in a couple weeks just to make sure everything is secure.

[fty]

The front seals were in great shap no visible oil..but i do get leaks down on the oil pan/cooler gasket....Ill keep an eye on her..Im just surprized on how much different she feels with the belts aligned right -chris

[Mike B]

Good to hear Chris...What was the condition of the old belt...Were there any signs of it about to self destruct...

[T86951]

I would like to know the condition also. What year is your car. My 86 has 35,000 on the cam belt. I did retention it last spring cause it was really loose. I checked it today, took the cover off, and the belt looks great , no cracking or tearing or anything. It looks like a new belt. I am thinking about changing it but the current belt looks great. I ran the last one 62,000 miles and it broke and bent some valves. It was never retentioned or even checked though. Anyone have any solid belt knowledge? Will they look perfect one day and break the next?

[Scott R]

Look for micro cracks in the belt, they can lead to a broken belt. Check your tension on the long side of the belt for accuracey. 90deg twist is about right. If you need the $300 9201 tool you should not be in there in the first place. The "$500" tool is for the "layperson" who does not do cam belts often. I have set three by hand now and no problems at all. Too tight and it whines. Very easy. Don't let the above posts scare you off. Again sorry, but if you need the $500 tool then you should probably be going to the shop to get your belts done.

[dk944s2]

Scott R--should the engine be cold when you do the "90-degree twist" test? And can anyone explain exactly how the autotensioner of '87 (?)-later cars works? Do you have to undo a locknut for the tension to be set, or does it do this automatically? TIA, everybody.

--Doug

[fty]

The belt was in good condition just was kinda loose and the balance belt was loose as a goose but both were visibly to the human eye in decent condition.....-chris

[Scott R]

I check it cold. My 87 also has the auto tensioner and it does a great job or regulating the tension when the engine gets warm.

[divezic]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is the 90 degree twist test and how is it done?

[Scott R]

You twist the belt on the long side 90deg, if your tension is ok then you should not be able to twist the belt more than 90 deg. So if you were set too loose then you could twist it all the way around or farther.