timing belt
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timing belt
ok if u havent read my last post, my hanes book has been rained on and frozen so i cant use it cananyone help me by explaining how to remove the timing belt cover and the belt itsef
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Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Lima, Ohio
RE: timing belt
Well here is a write up I did awhile back, it includes doing the head gasket but if you just skim through there it tells you the procedures for the timing belt. I still do not understand why this was never put in the FAQ's[&:]
I was looking around the first gen section and found no other write ups on this, so I thought it might help some since so many ask this question. Bear with me, as I am trying to be as specific as I can. I also want to say that I am in no way responsible for any damage or injury when attempting this procedure. I spent about $200 on everything to do my 97 SOHC with 89,000 miles on the clock, but I got a good deal on a Mopar MLS head gasket set off of Ebay, for $70 bucks it came with a complete top end gasket set, head bolts, and T-stat. Here is a list of everything you will need to do it right, and an approximate price from advanceautoparts.com:
Parts
Felpro Head Gasket set- $129.99
Felpro Head Bolts-$32.98
Reman Waterpump-$23.99
Goodyear Mileage Maker Serp belt-$6.49
Goodyear Mileage Maker V-belt-$2.89
Goodyear Gatorback Timing belt-$29.99
Misc. parts such as Oil, plugs, etc.- $30
*Recommended if You have a high mileage engine*
Timing belt tensioner-$47.99
Dayco Timing tensioner pulley- $35.48
Melling Oil pump (while you are in there)-$88.88
Tools
Here is a list of tools needed when doing this job, just remember any tool you try to avoid using will just give you more trouble, believe me, I have been there.
Complete set of metric wrenches, varying from 6 mm to 18mm
Complete set of metric sockets, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch drives from 6mm- 21mm
Good 1/2 inch drive torque wrench
Chrysler/Mitsubishi Damper puller with (3) rods
Impact (not required but useful)
Brass hammer
pliers
Screwdrivers
Floor jack
Blocks of wood
Jack stands
Before You Begin
Be sure you have access to every tool listed above, you can get the torque wrench from auto zone for $100 and the puller for $60, but you will get 100% of that back when you are done using them. Be sure you have a clean, decent sized working area in which you can have for as long as you need it (things don't always go perfectly .) Lastly, be sure you are ready to start the project as it may take a few days for a beginner to do.
Starting Your Project
Step one: Place a wooden block under the back side of the rear wheels, just in case Jack up the passenger side of the vehicle, then place a jack stand and or wood under the car and take off the tire, then remove the jack for later use.
Step two: Start by draining oil and coolant, and removing the negative (-) battery cable, then remove the lower splash shield with a few 8 mm bolts, working your way up to the top again and remove the coil pack with (4) 10mm bolts (or 3 10mm nuts on a 95), place all bolts in baggies with what they are for written on the bag with a sharpie.
Step three: Take off the intake tube and stock air box, then remove the 8mm bolts holding the valve cover on, and remove ground strap. Inspect the top of the head for any damage or debris.
Step four: Continue by 8mm bolts from the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold, you can just leave those in the car.
Step five: Remove the cam sensor plug, starter wiring, map sensor plug, and all other wires needed to get the harness out of the way, be sure to label each wire so you can remember where it goes!!
Step six: Relieve the fuel pressure using the check valve on the fuel rail, then remove the fuel line and fuel rail.
Step seven: Continue by removing all the little things from the head such as the thermostat housing, coolant hose from water pump, all vacuum lines, heater hose bracket, and egr valve. Now, I found it easier to just remove the egr valve from the tube rather than from the head, but it is still a PITA.
Step eight: Loosen the alternator by the 13mm bolt behind the power steering reservoir, this is a major PITA and may take some time to loosen it enough to get the belt off. Also remove the power steering pump and set it aside. Remove the crank bolt holding the pulley on, then use the puller to remove the pulley. This isn't always so easy, but that is a whole another write-up...
Step nine: Remove the purge solenoid from the side motor mount, then place a jack with a block under the oil pan and put slight pressure on the engine with the jack. Remove the 21mm bolt through the hole in the wheel well, then remove the two bolts holding it to the car and take it out.
Step ten: Remove the three bolts holding the motor mount plate onto the engine, you may have to raise/lower the engine to get it out of the car though. You can now see the timing belt, if you suspected it is broken, you can now see it and feel if there is tension on it. Then proceed to remove the outer timing cover.
Step eleven: Loosen the bolts on the tensioner and remove it, then remove the timing belt and tensioner pulley bracket. Pay close attention to the timing marks on the inner timing cover and cam gear.
Step twelve: Remove the inner timing cover, be careful not to break these as they can get fragile in old age!
Step thirteen: Finally, after 12 other steps, you are ready to remove the head. Take out the 10 bolts holding on the head, then double check to see that you removed everything that needs to be, and then try to lift the head off of the block. If it does not go, use a small pry bar to pull the head and engine apart, they tend to like to stick together...
Step fourteen: By now, you should have the head off and sitting on your workbench. Inspect the head for any valve damage, visual cracks etc. and get some of the excess grime off of it. If the car was in perfect running condition before, and you know there were no leaks or cracks in the head, it is ok to just clean it up and do a valve job on it. It is recommended to have the head hot tanked, fluxed, and checked for cracks, but if you are on a tight budget and confident there is nothing wrong with it, take it apart, marking the parts (I.e. cylinder #) and clean them, wire wheel the valves, and lapping them into the head. Inspect the valve guides and replace the valve seals as well. To remove the spark plug tubes, use vise grips or the water pump pliers and twist back and forth while pulling up, this should get them out. Check the flatness of the head with a straight edge and then use scotch bright on all the machined surfaces to clean them up. Install new cam seal and you are good to go!
Step fifteen: Inspect the engine block and components for any damage, then clean all of the oil and coolant passages and pistons, then again scotch bright the machined surfaces Remove the old water pump, inspect for damage, and replace with new pump. Then be piston #1 (closest to the passenger side) is at TDC (top dead center). Also observe the timing marks on the block and the crank gear, be sure they are lined up.
Step sixteen: Inspect everything one last time, be sure it is still at TDC, clean everything that can be cleaned, and clean up your work area for re-assembly. whew, that was alot of steps
Re-assembly
Woot Woot! You are now ready to re-assemble the engine. Be sure all foreign objects are out of the engine and head everything is cleaned to the best of your ability.
Step one: Place the MLS head gasket on the engine block, making sure the coolant and oil passages all line up. Mopar suggest using a few coats of a head gasket spray sealer on each side of the gasket to ensure a proper seal.
Step two: Carefully set the head back onto the engine, be sure not to knock the head gasket out of place!! Place all ten new head bolts into the head, lightly oiling each bolt. The 4 short ones go in the corners. Follow the torque sequence that came with your gasket set.
Step three: Re-attach the intake and exhaust manifolds with new gaskets to the head, replace the fuel rail, wiring, heater hose bracket, coolant line from water pump, egr valve, valve cover, and coil pack.
Step four: Put the inner timing cover back in place, then reinstall the cam gear and tensioner pulley/bracket. Rotate the cam until lined up with the timing mark on the inner timing cover, and once again check that the crank gear is still lined up with the mark on the block. Put the timing belt under the crank gear first, then around the water pump, over the cam gear and on the right side of the tensioner pulley.
Step five: Take the tensioner and line up the hole through the middle with the two outside holes, the compress the tensioner in the vise until the hole in the pin lines up with the two others. Have a 5/64 allen wrench handy to put through the holes to keep the pin compressed. Put the tensioner on pushed all the way up, then tighten the mounting bolts and remove the allen wrench. Rotate the engine slowly and re-check timing. Be sure it is done correctly, if not, redo it until it is right!
Step six: Reinstall the outer timing cover. Then, reinstall the motor mount plate to the engine and then reinstall the motor mount itself with the purge solenoid. Replace the crank pulley by putting it on and then using the bolt to tighten it down, if needed, hit the pulley with the brass hammer until it is on enough to start the crank bolt. Put the serpentine belt onto the alternator and crank pulley, then tighten the alternator until the belt only moves about a half inch when you squeeze it.
Step seven: Reinstall the power steering pump and route the belt around the power steering pulley, ac pulley, and crank pulley. Use a pry bar to lift the power steering pump until the desired tension is on the belt, then tighten the power steering pump. Replace the power steering reservoir, and check that all power steering hoses are on and tight. Put the thermostat housing back on and be sure the thermostat is on correctly!
Step eight: Replace the splash shield and tire and lower the car back to the ground. Reinstall the air box and intake tube, Reinstall the ground strap, and go over everything one last time to be sure you have everything hooked up (I.e. wiring, vacuum lines, coolant lines etc.) Replace the oil, coolant, plugs, battery cables, and power steering fluid.
Start-up, YAY
Congrats, this means you were able to complete the job, now lets just see if it starts. Dont get on it and try cranking it right away, turn the key to the on position, off, on, off, on, and off, then you can start it. This builds fuel pressure so you don't have to crank it forever. If you did it right, it should fire right up. Dont rev it right away, let it idle for five-ten minutes, get out, check everything, listen for noises, then go easy on it and rev it up a couple of times. Take it for a test drive, keep an eye on the temp gauge, and then replace the oil and coolant once again to remove anything that may be in the engine after doing the head gasket. Now, if it does not start, check if you are getting any codes, air, fuel, and spark. If you are getting those three, you may have to repeat steps 1-16 and 1-8 .
I was looking around the first gen section and found no other write ups on this, so I thought it might help some since so many ask this question. Bear with me, as I am trying to be as specific as I can. I also want to say that I am in no way responsible for any damage or injury when attempting this procedure. I spent about $200 on everything to do my 97 SOHC with 89,000 miles on the clock, but I got a good deal on a Mopar MLS head gasket set off of Ebay, for $70 bucks it came with a complete top end gasket set, head bolts, and T-stat. Here is a list of everything you will need to do it right, and an approximate price from advanceautoparts.com:
Parts
Felpro Head Gasket set- $129.99
Felpro Head Bolts-$32.98
Reman Waterpump-$23.99
Goodyear Mileage Maker Serp belt-$6.49
Goodyear Mileage Maker V-belt-$2.89
Goodyear Gatorback Timing belt-$29.99
Misc. parts such as Oil, plugs, etc.- $30
*Recommended if You have a high mileage engine*
Timing belt tensioner-$47.99
Dayco Timing tensioner pulley- $35.48
Melling Oil pump (while you are in there)-$88.88
Tools
Here is a list of tools needed when doing this job, just remember any tool you try to avoid using will just give you more trouble, believe me, I have been there.
Complete set of metric wrenches, varying from 6 mm to 18mm
Complete set of metric sockets, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch drives from 6mm- 21mm
Good 1/2 inch drive torque wrench
Chrysler/Mitsubishi Damper puller with (3) rods
Impact (not required but useful)
Brass hammer
pliers
Screwdrivers
Floor jack
Blocks of wood
Jack stands
Before You Begin
Be sure you have access to every tool listed above, you can get the torque wrench from auto zone for $100 and the puller for $60, but you will get 100% of that back when you are done using them. Be sure you have a clean, decent sized working area in which you can have for as long as you need it (things don't always go perfectly .) Lastly, be sure you are ready to start the project as it may take a few days for a beginner to do.
Starting Your Project
Step one: Place a wooden block under the back side of the rear wheels, just in case Jack up the passenger side of the vehicle, then place a jack stand and or wood under the car and take off the tire, then remove the jack for later use.
Step two: Start by draining oil and coolant, and removing the negative (-) battery cable, then remove the lower splash shield with a few 8 mm bolts, working your way up to the top again and remove the coil pack with (4) 10mm bolts (or 3 10mm nuts on a 95), place all bolts in baggies with what they are for written on the bag with a sharpie.
Step three: Take off the intake tube and stock air box, then remove the 8mm bolts holding the valve cover on, and remove ground strap. Inspect the top of the head for any damage or debris.
Step four: Continue by 8mm bolts from the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold, you can just leave those in the car.
Step five: Remove the cam sensor plug, starter wiring, map sensor plug, and all other wires needed to get the harness out of the way, be sure to label each wire so you can remember where it goes!!
Step six: Relieve the fuel pressure using the check valve on the fuel rail, then remove the fuel line and fuel rail.
Step seven: Continue by removing all the little things from the head such as the thermostat housing, coolant hose from water pump, all vacuum lines, heater hose bracket, and egr valve. Now, I found it easier to just remove the egr valve from the tube rather than from the head, but it is still a PITA.
Step eight: Loosen the alternator by the 13mm bolt behind the power steering reservoir, this is a major PITA and may take some time to loosen it enough to get the belt off. Also remove the power steering pump and set it aside. Remove the crank bolt holding the pulley on, then use the puller to remove the pulley. This isn't always so easy, but that is a whole another write-up...
Step nine: Remove the purge solenoid from the side motor mount, then place a jack with a block under the oil pan and put slight pressure on the engine with the jack. Remove the 21mm bolt through the hole in the wheel well, then remove the two bolts holding it to the car and take it out.
Step ten: Remove the three bolts holding the motor mount plate onto the engine, you may have to raise/lower the engine to get it out of the car though. You can now see the timing belt, if you suspected it is broken, you can now see it and feel if there is tension on it. Then proceed to remove the outer timing cover.
Step eleven: Loosen the bolts on the tensioner and remove it, then remove the timing belt and tensioner pulley bracket. Pay close attention to the timing marks on the inner timing cover and cam gear.
Step twelve: Remove the inner timing cover, be careful not to break these as they can get fragile in old age!
Step thirteen: Finally, after 12 other steps, you are ready to remove the head. Take out the 10 bolts holding on the head, then double check to see that you removed everything that needs to be, and then try to lift the head off of the block. If it does not go, use a small pry bar to pull the head and engine apart, they tend to like to stick together...
Step fourteen: By now, you should have the head off and sitting on your workbench. Inspect the head for any valve damage, visual cracks etc. and get some of the excess grime off of it. If the car was in perfect running condition before, and you know there were no leaks or cracks in the head, it is ok to just clean it up and do a valve job on it. It is recommended to have the head hot tanked, fluxed, and checked for cracks, but if you are on a tight budget and confident there is nothing wrong with it, take it apart, marking the parts (I.e. cylinder #) and clean them, wire wheel the valves, and lapping them into the head. Inspect the valve guides and replace the valve seals as well. To remove the spark plug tubes, use vise grips or the water pump pliers and twist back and forth while pulling up, this should get them out. Check the flatness of the head with a straight edge and then use scotch bright on all the machined surfaces to clean them up. Install new cam seal and you are good to go!
Step fifteen: Inspect the engine block and components for any damage, then clean all of the oil and coolant passages and pistons, then again scotch bright the machined surfaces Remove the old water pump, inspect for damage, and replace with new pump. Then be piston #1 (closest to the passenger side) is at TDC (top dead center). Also observe the timing marks on the block and the crank gear, be sure they are lined up.
Step sixteen: Inspect everything one last time, be sure it is still at TDC, clean everything that can be cleaned, and clean up your work area for re-assembly. whew, that was alot of steps
Re-assembly
Woot Woot! You are now ready to re-assemble the engine. Be sure all foreign objects are out of the engine and head everything is cleaned to the best of your ability.
Step one: Place the MLS head gasket on the engine block, making sure the coolant and oil passages all line up. Mopar suggest using a few coats of a head gasket spray sealer on each side of the gasket to ensure a proper seal.
Step two: Carefully set the head back onto the engine, be sure not to knock the head gasket out of place!! Place all ten new head bolts into the head, lightly oiling each bolt. The 4 short ones go in the corners. Follow the torque sequence that came with your gasket set.
Step three: Re-attach the intake and exhaust manifolds with new gaskets to the head, replace the fuel rail, wiring, heater hose bracket, coolant line from water pump, egr valve, valve cover, and coil pack.
Step four: Put the inner timing cover back in place, then reinstall the cam gear and tensioner pulley/bracket. Rotate the cam until lined up with the timing mark on the inner timing cover, and once again check that the crank gear is still lined up with the mark on the block. Put the timing belt under the crank gear first, then around the water pump, over the cam gear and on the right side of the tensioner pulley.
Step five: Take the tensioner and line up the hole through the middle with the two outside holes, the compress the tensioner in the vise until the hole in the pin lines up with the two others. Have a 5/64 allen wrench handy to put through the holes to keep the pin compressed. Put the tensioner on pushed all the way up, then tighten the mounting bolts and remove the allen wrench. Rotate the engine slowly and re-check timing. Be sure it is done correctly, if not, redo it until it is right!
Step six: Reinstall the outer timing cover. Then, reinstall the motor mount plate to the engine and then reinstall the motor mount itself with the purge solenoid. Replace the crank pulley by putting it on and then using the bolt to tighten it down, if needed, hit the pulley with the brass hammer until it is on enough to start the crank bolt. Put the serpentine belt onto the alternator and crank pulley, then tighten the alternator until the belt only moves about a half inch when you squeeze it.
Step seven: Reinstall the power steering pump and route the belt around the power steering pulley, ac pulley, and crank pulley. Use a pry bar to lift the power steering pump until the desired tension is on the belt, then tighten the power steering pump. Replace the power steering reservoir, and check that all power steering hoses are on and tight. Put the thermostat housing back on and be sure the thermostat is on correctly!
Step eight: Replace the splash shield and tire and lower the car back to the ground. Reinstall the air box and intake tube, Reinstall the ground strap, and go over everything one last time to be sure you have everything hooked up (I.e. wiring, vacuum lines, coolant lines etc.) Replace the oil, coolant, plugs, battery cables, and power steering fluid.
Start-up, YAY
Congrats, this means you were able to complete the job, now lets just see if it starts. Dont get on it and try cranking it right away, turn the key to the on position, off, on, off, on, and off, then you can start it. This builds fuel pressure so you don't have to crank it forever. If you did it right, it should fire right up. Dont rev it right away, let it idle for five-ten minutes, get out, check everything, listen for noises, then go easy on it and rev it up a couple of times. Take it for a test drive, keep an eye on the temp gauge, and then replace the oil and coolant once again to remove anything that may be in the engine after doing the head gasket. Now, if it does not start, check if you are getting any codes, air, fuel, and spark. If you are getting those three, you may have to repeat steps 1-16 and 1-8 .
