Need for ZTEC timing belt tools?

[fdcg27]

I'm trying to wrap my mind around the idea of having to buy tools to hold the crankshaft and the cams in place while doing a timing belt change on the Focus.
Why is it not possible simply to mark the positions of the cams and the crank prior to removal and then verify that the marks remain matched after installation?
I've always done this with Hondas in the past, although those engines had but one cam.
Do you really need the special tools, which aren't all that costly, or is it acceptable to just make some marks and ensure that they remain lined up after installation of the belt?

 

[DBMaster]

I did timing belt changes on my 89 Accord and 93 Escort. I always figured that, due to belt stretch, I wanted to align my crank and cam(s) on my own after removing the belt. I used to just adjust the crank to TDC at the timing mark and make sure the cam was also on its mark. Then, I put the belt on and everything was fine.

Things may be different on later models with multiple cams and balance shafts.

I am SO glad that most manufacturers seem to have gone back to timing chains (like my 2012 Mazda).

 

[scurvy]

Mark & pray only ensures that the cams and meshing teeth on the belt are back where they were, not where they should be.

Do the job correctly, use the correct tools and be done with it. No sense risking the extremely strong love between pistons & valves just to save a couple bucks. There are folks on enthusiast forums that will loan them out to you cheaply or possibly even for free.

I've personally assisted in 5 timing belt jobs on diesel VWs for $0 and loaned my tools out to folks I trust for the same price. Ask around, somebody you work with may have a set you can borrow.

While our Mazda has a chain, my VW has a belt which I prefer. They're cheaper, lighter, have less moving parts, are generally designed to be replaced fairly easily and belts are more dimensionally stable than chains.

 

[beast3300]

The tool is to lock the cams. You can use a file. It fits on the opposite side of the cam gears (transmission end of the head).

 

[fdcg27]

I got that part, but why would you need to loosen the cog wheels to begin with?
If you leave them in place, then any timing marks that you make should remain an accurate reference, or am I missing something here?

 

[901Memphis]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I got that part, but why would you need to loosen the cog wheels to begin with?
If you leave them in place, then any timing marks that you make should remain an accurate reference, or am I missing something here?


I'm thinking that marks aren't accurate enough and you need to be perfectly precise.

 

[artificialist]

If you are going to replace your timing belt, it is a good time to replace your cam and crank seals. They can easily fail halfway into the t-belt's life. To do that, you would be removing your cam sprockets anyway, so just replace those parts and use the timing procedure.

Many new belts have the proper marks to aid replacement. You would still need to rotate the crankshaft twice and all that other stuff, but you could be stuck doing the same thing when your seals leak.

 

[Bluestream]

Here ya go:

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=171242&highlight=timing+belt

 

[Cardenio327]

The camshafts probably won't stay put, hence the need for the tool.

I recently did the belt on a Renault K4M that is similar. The Renault has two crazy expensive soft plugs on the back of the head that you remove to reveal the ends of the shafts, then a special $$$ tool is used to hold them from turning. I cut out a couple of wooden wedges and tapped them in to jam them. The wedges popped out a couple of times each and the shafts moved, but we got the job done.

Incidently this particular Renault doesn't have any timing marks on the crankshaft. You remove an Allen head plug from the block and slide another special tool into a special slot in the webbing of the crankshaft to hold it in place. I jammed an Allen wrench of adequate diameter in the hole.

 

[Silk]

They are plain tapers on the cams, no keyways. So the cam or cams are locked, the pulleys free to move, the crank is also locked, then the belt is tensioned and the pulleys tightened to the cams again. It's a simple foolproof system.

 

[The_Eric]

Like mentioned, a file or a piece of flat metal of the appropriate thickness (1/4?) will work. The tool for the crank engages a notch to hold it in the correct spot. I believe there is also an alignment mark on the crank gear and timing cover for reference. You could likely substitute a wood dowel or metal rod to get the job done.

 

[Silk]

But it needs to be the exact thickness or the timing will be out. First one of these we did, which would be well over 10 years ago, my mechanic used a piece of metal with a small amount of slop....and the Mondeo had a bad idle. I hand filed a thicker piece down to an exact fit which cured the problem. It wasn't much, but it affected the running of the engine.

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: Cardenio327

Incidently this particular Renault doesn't have any timing marks on the crankshaft. You remove an Allen head plug from the block and slide another special tool into a special slot in the webbing of the crankshaft to hold it in place. I jammed an Allen wrench of adequate diameter in the hole.

It wouldn't surprise me that an engine is shipped with no timing marks. With coil on plug ignitions, checking the spark timing with a timing light is usually obsolete. You would need a scan tool.

 

[asand1]

I used to use the vw tools at the dealer on TDIs. When I did my dads a couple years ago I just marked them, compared to the marks on the new belt, and threw it on. New idlers, tensioner, and waterpump were used. I did use the lockout pin for the injection pump, as I do own one.

If it runs good now, there is no good reason to crack the pulleys loose. Just mark and transfer. Make sure you count teeth to be sure.