Timing Belt Cover help please--quick

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So I went to replace the drivebelt in my car since i've had it over a month and not put the new one on..been driving without an a/c belt.. anyway i wanted the new belt on as the drivebelt, and the old one on the a/c ...

the timing cover is warped/bowed out and rubbing on the pulley (wat pulley is this?) anyway.....i was gonna remove the timing belt cover and clean it up... fix the side where the gasket popped out somehow... and maybe sand it down where it's rubbing on that pulley, but i can't get the #$%@ thing off.. how do i remove this pulley (if it's really even necessary) and did i screw up the timing if this pulley turned a little when I was taking the belt off?





Here I took the stupid bracket off to get some room.. you can see where the timing cover gasket is popping out the side.. it wasn't THAT bad, but it was out of it's groove.

[Nerd Racing]

there is a bolt behind the water pump pulley on my BP, I can't remember on the B3. Either throw the belt back on or get something to hold the pulley still. I have been able to sometimes get it by wrapping the belt around the pulley and holding it nice and tight.

[ch4no21986]

When I was taking mine off, I just used a really big screw driver and wedged it between the water pump pulley and the one below it. I had to pull up on it rather hard, but it got the job done.

[walth]

did you get the bolt from the bottom left? near the alternator

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thx .. again nerdy lol.. i was getting so peeved i posted here and there..

anywya, i got it off, pics incomming, it's alot worse than i thought, stupid thing, i might end up having to replace the lower one too, looks like the gasket for it was chewed up, it's broke. anyway, pics comming in a minute

[FestYboy]

it's just a dust cover... don't stress the warping, it won't affect how the engine performs.

BTW, the large central pulley is your water pump... kinda important.

[Nerd Racing]

The gaskets on all the timing covers I have ever owned were always stretched and never went back in correctly... I deleted the covers on my protege. I kept them for timing purposes though...

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it's just a dust cover... don't stress the warping, it won't affect how the engine performs.

BTW, the large central pulley is your water pump... kinda important.

it does when it's chewing up belts..... the old one i took off a couple weeks ago only had 3 ribs left in it.. this one after being on for 3 weeks +/- is already starting to fray on one side.... that's why i wanted it to be the a/c belt i rarely use and if it breaks goin down the road...no biggie lol









got some pics.. I've got over 1/2" of play in the timing belt, is that normal or should I replace it while i'm already this deep in it?

I've got over 1/2" of play in the timing belt, is that normal? .. I dunno if I should go ahead and replace the belt since i'm already this deep in it or not..

timing belt

http://i52.tinypic.com/117sf3m.png

cover

http://i55.tinypic.com/2ed6xbp.png

[FestYboy]

can't say that i've ever had a warped cover shread a belt before...

as for the timing belt, it doesn't require the tension that an accessory belt does. the spring that is attached to your tentioner should provide all the tension you need. what you SHOULD be looking for is cracking and seperation at the base of the teeth. if you see any of that, replace the belt.

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ah so the belt has it's own "automatic" tensioner? .. k thx man.. I was looking for gasket kits on azone.com and i see the little thing down there, it's all oily and stuff, i want to know where that's comming from. i know it was leaking from the valve cover, ... might be a good time to degrease the engine

[BigElCat]

RE Timing belt.

You have to loosen the bolt that goes through the tensioner; then the spring will take out the slack in the belt, then you tighten the bolt back down. The center part of the tensioner stays in place.

I'd highly recommend leaving the timing belt cover off. I run all my belt-drive overhead cam engines without them. Never had any problem.

[georgeb]

I use an air ratchet to remove the water pump pulley bolts. Then you can get to the hidden bolt. If I reinstall the top cover at all, I first cut off the section that wraps around the timing belt tensioner. Then you can remove the cover without removing the pulley.

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You have to loosen the bolt that goes through the tensioner; then the spring will take out the slack in the belt, then you tighten the bolt back down. The center part of the tensioner stays in place.

I'd highly recommend leaving the timing belt cover off. I run all my belt-drive overhead cam engines without them. Never had any problem.

i'll do this and see if it tightens up some, i was lookin at it, and it looks like it could tighten up quite a bit more. Dark out ATM..

I use an air ratchet to remove the water pump pulley bolts. Then you can get to the hidden bolt. If I reinstall the top cover at all, I first cut off the section that wraps around the timing belt tensioner. Then you can remove the cover without removing the pulley.

Do you have to take the motor mount off and drop or raise the engine to get to it with the air ratchet?

[drddan]

3 nuts on the top motor mount need to be loosened and backed off as far as you can without removing them from the studs. That will lower the engine enough to reach the pulleys and stuff. You will have remove the right tire and remove the plastic access panel inside the right wheel well to get at 'em.

[georgeb]

My Festiva doesn't have the bracket pictured by the pulley. I don't have to remove anything to remove the pulley bolts with an air ratchet, but it was a tight fit as I recall.