Possible timing belt trick

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Hell Razor5543
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Possible timing belt trick

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

I was watching "Car SOS", where they were restoring a crash damaged 1995 Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R (it was meant to be a husband and wife restoration project, but he was killed in a motorcycle accident before they could get started) when Fuzz (the main mechanic) showed what could be a useful trick replacing a timing belt. He carefully cut the belt the entirety of its length (so that it was, in effect, 2 belts), slid off the 'outer' belt, slid on the new belt as far as it could go, cut the 'inner' belt so that it could fall away, and then finished fitting the new belt. I didn't see him do any tightening or tension checking, but I assume that these were done at some time. The advantage he had was that there were no flanges on the various sprockets or pulleys.
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by HDI »

Saw that, good tip. Can't see it working on more complex layouts though, like v6's.
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by rory_perrett »

What do we reckon on an HDi? Will be doing my cambelt over Christmas although I have to ask (in a rhetorical manner having done a few) is it really that much of a faff doing it the "conventional way". I can perhaps see it if its a car you are unfamiliar with but getting it to TDC and sticking the bolts/pins on the old Xantin is probably quicker than slicing the belt in half. Might try it just for fun and see if it is any easier/quicker etc.
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by CitroJim »

I'd say that give the HDi belt is so easy anyway Rory, it won't be a huge benefit..

Even if you do use the 'cut in half' discussed in this thread it's still essential to set the tension on the new belt...
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by Peter.N. »

Interesting, something I hadn't thought of - which annoys me :x but as jim says the Hdi is not overly difficult to do just fiddly to get to so I think I will stick with the conventional method.

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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by JohnD »

I heard about this method quite a lot of years ago. As I see it, it saves setting the timing, but surely the tension will need to be relaxed to get the new belt on the pulleys.
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by citroenxm »

The BIG issue here is though, you cannot change the PLASTIC rubbish weak tensioners AND ALSO Water Pump is highly advised to change on the HDi too, otherwise it is GAURENTEED to leak after a short while, so, me, I think its a BAD Tip for some cars, but fine for cars with external driven water pumps...

ALSO, a new belt is NEVER the same tension as the old one either... so, me.. I think its really bad, and another thought, why cut corners when you have Timing Pin Holes to lock it all up... Lazy Id say!
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by dnsey »

An alternative method is to make your own timing marks on each sprocket and the old belt with something like Tipex.. Remove the belt, and duplicate the marks onto the new belt (I count the teeth as well, just to be sure).
It's a good starting point, and allows one to move the sprockets a bit to facilitate fitting, but I still tension the belt and re-check the timing properly afterwards.
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by CitroJim »

citroenxm wrote:AND ALSO Water Pump is highly advised to change on the HDi too, otherwise it is GAURENTEED to leak after a short while
Absolutely!

I made this mistake when i changed my very first XUD belt back in 2001. Two weeks later, with snow on the ground, the pump started to leak and it was the same job all over again but this time in the snow :evil:

Whatever the engine, if the water pump drives off the cam belt then change it whilst you’re there.. Same with the tensioners.

And Paul, yes. The belt tension always needs resetting. I critical part of the job...
dnsey wrote:An alternative method is to make your own timing marks on each sprocket and the old belt with something like Tipex..
Seen no end of engines where the 'Tippex Trick' has been used to perfect effect. Very popular on the XU 8V engines where the crank pulley timing hole cannot be trusted...

The 'Tippex Trick' is in fact very good and I've used it myself...
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by Peter.N. »

I just lock the camshaft and put a dab of yellow paint on the crankshaft sprocket and the block, having degreased it thoroughly, works every time.

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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by rory_perrett »

Just done my cam belt today and thought I would give this method a go just to see how it went. Slicing the old belt in half was easy, fed the new belt on, removed remaining half of old belt, moved new b;t fully into position, adjusted tension. Job done. Was it any quicker, probably marginally but not really that much in the context of the whole job although it did feel more straight forward. As said, no use if you are changing the water pump as well.
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by CitroJim »

Excellent Rory, good to know :D

Risky not to change the water pump or is it quite a new one anyway?
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by rory_perrett »

I'm gambling on the water pump so perhaps I will get my comeuppance. I've not had a water pump failure after a cam belt change in the past and that's in 8 belt changes on Citroens. Even if this one is the exception I'm still up on the deal overall.
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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by Peter.N. »

I have changed many cambelts but have only ever had one water pump fail subsequently - perhaps I have been lucky - except with the one that failed.

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Re: Possible timing belt trick

Post by CitroJim »

Good odds!

I must have been unlucky then...
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