Is adjusting the timing belt as labor intensive as replacing it?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jamie
  • Start date Start date
J

Jamie

I want to have my timing checked, the mechanic just replaced the belt
and pulley and all of the engine seals as part of my crankshaft
rebuild.

But, he's tied up (shade tree) for a month or so and I want to see if
my loss of power is due to timing.

If I bring it to a formal mechanic shop, do they have to disassemble as
much to adjust the timing, as they would to replace the belt?
 
Yes.

The belt has three lines on it which must all line up with indicator
marks on 3 gears.

The way to "check the timing" is to loosen and remove the belt, put the
gears in the proper position, then reaffix the belt.

This is so whether you put on a new belt or use the old one.

BTW, the indicator lines on the belt fade away pretty quick: if you
cannot see them, a new belt is required, even if the old one is
otherwise perfect.
 
The timing is easy to check, with a power timing light, but if it is
correct and there is a loss of power, you need to check whether the
timing belt is properly aligned with the three gears it controls.

The belt has three lines on it which must all line up with indicator
marks on 3 gears.

The way to "check the timing" is to loosen and remove the belt, put the
gears in the proper position, then reaffix the belt.

This is so whether you put on a new belt or use the old one.

BTW, the indicator lines on the belt fade away pretty quick: if you
cannot see them, a new belt is required, even if the old one is
otherwise perfect.
 
Thanks! Do you think I can easily remove the timing belt cover and
visually inspect this without having to disassemble much?

I'm at work and don't have my Hayne's manual to determine this now.
 
IIRC, you must remove one or more drive belts before removing the t/c
cover.
 
Thanks. I took a test drive with a buddy for lunch and we seem to agree
that it appears less a timing issue and more like the tranny isn't
upshifting into 1st gear. Even at a dead stop, if I manually shift to
first, it still works hard to get going and then it seems to be OK
after.
 
Yes.

The belt has three lines on it which must all line up with indicator
marks on 3 gears.

The way to "check the timing" is to loosen and remove the belt, put the
gears in the proper position, then reaffix the belt.

This is so whether you put on a new belt or use the old one.

BTW, the indicator lines on the belt fade away pretty quick: if you
cannot see them, a new belt is required, even if the old one is
otherwise perfect.
Click to expand...


There are marks on the pulleys and covers which can be checked even with
no white lines on the belt, but it does mean pulling the fan, etc. as
needed to get the cover off.

If this is a red block engine, tension adjustment is just a matter of
removing a cap from the timing cover, loosening a nut, then tightening
that nut. This is supposed to be done ~500 miles after a timing belt
change. I wonder how often it actually gets done!

You can also check the ignition timing with a standard strobe light.

Ignition timing and valve timing are two different things, but people
often confuse them.

John
 
Thanks! This is good to know. I am thinking the issue is transmission
related, but I want to check the timing too.
 
Jamie said:
Thanks! This is good to know. I am thinking the issue is transmission
related, but I want to check the timing too.
Click to expand...


Does it have a ZF 4 speed transmission? Those are notorious for burning
themselves up if the engine is revved in park.
 
Simply because you should never rev an engine in Park. That is what Neutral
is for. In Park there is a very strong mechanical lock applied to the
output shaft. On the ZF the internal pump is not engaged when Park is
selected. There is nothing wrong with the ZF gearbox, any faults being
caused by the person using it.

All the best, Peter.

700/900/90 Register Keeper,
Volvo Owners Club (UK).
 
Peter said:
Simply because you should never rev an engine in Park. That is what Neutral
is for. In Park there is a very strong mechanical lock applied to the
output shaft. On the ZF the internal pump is not engaged when Park is
selected. There is nothing wrong with the ZF gearbox, any faults being
caused by the person using it.
Click to expand...

Nonsense, sure there's rarely reason to rev the engine in park, but that
doesn't do much good once someone has done it now does it? A well
designed slushbox will easily stand up to the abuse. There's a reason
the AW boxes have a reputation of being bulletproof while the ZF's are
notorious for being fragile.

Of course I hate slushboxes in general so this is pretty much a moot point.
 
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