Inexperienced mechanic timing belt - thoughts?

[patmahe]

As per title, I've done servicing, brakes (drum and disc) and a few other similar low level jobs. How much of a leap is it to do the timing belt from this level of experience. Should I just shell out and let a pro get on with it? Ideally I'd like to gain the experience of doing it myself.

The car in question is a 98 Corolla 1.3 (non VVTi engine) in case that makes any difference.

Any advice/tips appreciated thanks.

[adsvx220]

It depends how confident you are. I did my first cambelt on my 02 astra when I was 19 and it only took me an hour more than what the book said.

If you feel competent enough go ahead and do it and learn as you go like I did.

Best of luck.

[deveng]

There's only one way to learn.... Confidence held me back for several years but working with friends has helped build up my confidence and I'll try most things now!

[Egg Chaser]

The thing most people worry about is setting the timing up wrong. As long as you turn the engine over by hand first before starting it up, to make sure it turns freely without the pistons smashing into the valves, you shouldn't have any problems. It's not as hard to do as you think it is.

[mybrainhurts]

Ask TVRmoneypit buspass about how to get in a pickle with a timing belt...

[MX7]

I'm sure you'll be fine. Go through it step by step, take your time, and, as has been said, make sure it turns with no problem before starting it.

Good luck.

[buzzer]

It's one of the easiest belts I have ever done... Done a few now. Crank bolts are tight, you may need an impact wrench to undo it, apart from that, it's simple and easy to get to.

[blearyeyedboy]

I did a timing belt on a Renault that took me and some friends most of a day to do. (It was a pig though- Megane Mk1, and I'd never recommend buying that model to anyone.)

Toyota Corollas are a lot easier to work on in general because it's designed to be easier to access, though I've never done a timing belt on one of those. (I owned a 99 1.3, and it was like painting by numbers- dead easy if you just followed the instructions.)

Allow a lot of time in case you have a hiccup, follow advice carefully (about Top Dead Centre specifically) and have some confidence in yourself. It's easier than you'd imagine.

Edited by blearyeyedboy on Sunday 15th May 01:55

[BlueMR2]

The 928 needs doing but at 7 feet long i might let someone else do that, the waterpump and the tensioner.

[buzzer]

BlueMR2 said:

The 928 needs doing but at 7 feet long i might let someone else do that, the waterpump and the tensioner.

Is it really 7 foot long? Must look like a python in a biscuit tin!

[Jimmyarm]

Very easy to do the belts on those, ideal to do as a first go.

[thinfourth2]

First task

Remove sparkplugs and put car in neutral

Put a socket on the end of the crank and turn engine over by hand till you learn the feel of the engine

Do belt change

Last task

Out a socket on the end of the crank and turn it over and see if there are any new tight spots but don't force it past any new tight spots

[MC Bodge]

not as hard as you're expecting. give it a whirl.

[buzzer]

thinfourth2 said:

First task

Remove sparkplugs and put car in neutral

Put a socket on the end of the crank and turn engine over by hand till you learn the feel of the engine

Do belt change

Last task

Out a socket on the end of the crank and turn it over and see if there are any new tight spots but don't force it past any new tight spots

good advice... but try to avoid getting it wrong as even turning it over by hand can slightly bend a valve.

Before you take it off, line the marks up like in the manual. best to paint some tipex on the marks so you can see them easy, although on the Corolla they are very easy to see anyway.

when you tighten the belt, you should just about be able to turn it through 90 degrees on the longest run, with your fingers. don't go mad with this though. have a feel how tight it is with this method on the old belt before you take it off... it needs to be a bit tighter than that, but doing this gives you an Idea.

There is another way of changing belts... I have done this before where access to see the marks is difficult. what you do is carefully cut the belt in half with a stanley knife. turn the engine over bit by bit and cut the belt along its entire length. when its fully in half, cut the outer half off, leaving the other half still on at the back of the pulleys. Slacken the tensioner off and slide the new belt half into place. then cut the remainder of the old belt off, and push the new belt fully into place. Tension as normal. garenteed to get the timing right with this method.

However, this is of little use if you need to change a tensioner, seals or such. I am also not advocating this for one as simple as the Corolla. in fact, the last time I used this method was on a boat engine where I simply could not see the marks!

[seagrey]

buzzer said:

There is another way of changing belts... I have done this before where access to see the marks is difficult. what you do is carefully cut the belt in half with a stanley knife. turn the engine over bit by bit and cut the belt along its entire length. when its fully in half, cut the outer half off, leaving the other half still on at the back of the pulleys. Slacken the tensioner off and slide the new belt half into place. then cut the remainder of the old belt off, and push the new belt fully into place. Tension as normal. garenteed to get the timing right with this method.

blimey! I havent done that for donkies years,or seen or heard of anyone else doing it for that matter ,I thought it had died out.
I agree that tensioning is going to be op`s biggest issue,if he gets that wrong it will soon go ping anyway,dont these have a tension indicator?
The last Corolla I did was about ten years ago.

[buzzer]

here are a few photographs of a belt change I did a few weeks ago, on a 1600 corolla, Its the same on the 1300 though. as you can see, everything is easy to get to. A month earlier I did one on a 182 Clio, with air con... I certainly wouldn't reccomend a beginner tackles on of those!

[url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/2jSmln2t[/url][url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/RXiqgv0U[/url][url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/xFjUS10G[/url][url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/VNy7KfRK[/url]

[buzzer]

seagrey said:

buzzer said:

There is another way of changing belts... I have done this before where access to see the marks is difficult. what you do is carefully cut the belt in half with a stanley knife. turn the engine over bit by bit and cut the belt along its entire length. when its fully in half, cut the outer half off, leaving the other half still on at the back of the pulleys. Slacken the tensioner off and slide the new belt half into place. then cut the remainder of the old belt off, and push the new belt fully into place. Tension as normal. garenteed to get the timing right with this method.

blimey! I havent done that for donkies years,or seen or heard of anyone else doing it for that matter ,I thought it had died out.
I agree that tensioning is going to be op`s biggest issue,if he gets that wrong it will soon go ping anyway,dont these have a tension indicator?
The last Corolla I did was about ten years ago.

No tension indicator on the Corolla, but its a simple run for the belt and the tension is not "that" critical, compared to others... the 90 degree method works fine on these.

yes, the old half belt method is not used much, but it was invaluable when the engine was a tight fit in the bottom of a boat, 2 foot down in a hole, with water in the bottom!

As an aside, the boat also had an outboard, which was in the up position... the owner was leaning on it, looking over the back of the boat when his wife released the lever and it dropped down... and he went head first into the water! It was February and about -5! we hauled him out and he was blue! and so was the air for the next hour!!!

Edited by buzzer on Sunday 15th May 12:02

[magpie215]

buzzer said:

here are a few photographs of a belt change I did a few weeks ago, on a 1600 corolla, Its the same on the 1300 though. as you can see, everything is easy to get to. A month earlier I did one on a 182 Clio, with air con... I certainly wouldn't reccomend a beginner tackles on of those!

[url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/2jSmln2t[/url][url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/RXiqgv0U[/url][url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/xFjUS10G[/url][url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/VNy7KfRK[/url]

ooh I like what they did with the cams 1 pulley 2 cams :-)

[andy43]

buzzer said:

seagrey said:

buzzer said:

There is another way of changing belts... I have done this before where access to see the marks is difficult. what you do is carefully cut the belt in half with a stanley knife. turn the engine over bit by bit and cut the belt along its entire length. when its fully in half, cut the outer half off, leaving the other half still on at the back of the pulleys. Slacken the tensioner off and slide the new belt half into place. then cut the remainder of the old belt off, and push the new belt fully into place. Tension as normal. garenteed to get the timing right with this method.

blimey! I havent done that for donkies years,or seen or heard of anyone else doing it for that matter ,I thought it had died out.
I agree that tensioning is going to be op`s biggest issue,if he gets that wrong it will soon go ping anyway,dont these have a tension indicator?
The last Corolla I did was about ten years ago.

No tension indicator on the Corolla, but its a simple run for the belt and the tension is not "that" critical, compared to others... the 90 degree method works fine on these.

yes, the old half belt method is not used much, but it was invaluable when the engine was a tight fit in the bottom of a boat, 2 foot down in a hole, with water in the bottom!

As an aside, the boat also had an outboard, which was in the up position... the owner was leaning on it, looking over the back of the boat when his wife released the lever and it dropped down... and he went head first into the water! It was February and about -5! we hauled him out and he was blue! and so was the air for the next hour!!!

Edited by buzzer on Sunday 15th May 12:02

That sounds a very very clever way of doing it
I've just used loads, and I mean LOADS of Tippex when I've done it.
And wind engine round by hand gently afterwards.

[BlueMR2]

buzzer said:

BlueMR2 said:

The 928 needs doing but at 7 feet long i might let someone else do that, the waterpump and the tensioner.

Is it really 7 foot long? Must look like a python in a biscuit tin!

Here's one cut into one long piece.