How Hard is it too..

[firstfestiva]

The timing belt in my 92 1.3l needs to be done it looks like there is lots of room to work,but do not want to get myself into a situation if it is going to be a pain.. are there special tools involved other than the puller for the balancer? i am used to working on V8,s so this is new to me ,,Please help me,as i know there are plenty of festy nutzzz here

Thanks in advance Firstfestiva :idea:

[oldgrezmonke]

not hard to do search for info posted before . no puller needed.

[mechanicaldj]

go get a Haynes Festiva/Aspire repair manual first

[woodson]

what about cost? do cv's come on a new axle? they are clicking really bad. ther is a foot of snow in from of my place, and 16 degrees. how much would it be to get it done at a shop?

[Guest]

I've been charged 75 a piece for installation labor and shafts. I've done a few sets myself before, and if you've ever had trouble with a Festiva C/V the 75 a piece isn't bad at all. Usually the shafts themselves are 50+.

[Tom]

$75 Labor and $75 shaft each it costs around here, a couple of hundred each in a lot of areas and more.

I've done it a lot and I can put them in in about an hour or so and get them for $55

I wouldn't touch one if I could get one installed for $75

[WmWatt]

One of the easiest cars on which to change the timing belt according to what I've read on rec.autos.tech over the years. Some Mazdas are a pain but not the 121/Festiva. I never changed one before and found mine to be simple. You have to take off a splash shield on the fender then remove the pulleys, NOT the crankshaft nut like on most cars. Only problem is is there is not enough room for the pulleys to drop out betrween the block and the fender. On my '89 I levered the engine over at the mount with a pry bar and the pulley fell out. The head on my rachet was too big to fit so I had to use a breaker bar with the universal joint.

I've had the timing belt exposed a couple of times beside the one replacement. Don't even need to jack up the car and remove the wheel if you have a set of ramps.

A replacement timing belt cost me $35 her in Canada.

As others have said, look at back postings in this forum or the Haynes manaual for details. If I rmember correctly the Haynes manaual says to remove the crankshaft bolt if necessarey which is wrong.

[roycehof]

WmWatt wrote - Haynes manaual says to remove the crankshaft bolt if necessarey which is wrong.

My 93 you DID have to remove the crankshaft center bolt to replace the belt. I did an earlier model which you did NOT have to remove the center bolt. I think Mazda changed something over the years. Not sure which year - but there is definately a difference between early and late Festivas. BTW, you have to drop the engine down a little to remove the cog the belt goes on by removing the 3 bolts in the engine mount (at least on my 93). You can't get the belt on the cog with out removing it from the crank which reauires removing the center bolt.
I have also been told that the 93 take a different crankshaft pulley for the accessory drive that other years when I was contemplating adding A/C. (Maybe 93 was the break-in year for the change - If anybody knows, Please post)