Timing belt

[Daryl]

How tight should the timing belt be ? I installed a new belt and bearing in my Tracker, and it must be too tight, as the bearing makes noise. I am not an amature, but most cars I have worked on have a self adjusting tensioner of some sort. This thing is just bolted on.

[tracka96]

Did you put on a new bearing when you replaced the belt? There is aprocedure to follow when replacing this timing belt, if not done correctly, and if your car is a 16V rather that an 8, you can destroy the engine if you do it wrong. (16V-interference engine, the pistons can hit the valves, do a search on this forum for the how to. Tracka96

[Isuzuzuki man]

Sounds like it is too tight, not quite as tight as an acc belt.

[Daryl]

I installed a new bearing too. I don't know how tight the adjuster must be. All the timing belts I have ever installed(not a real lot I admit) had either a heavy spring to constantly load the belt, or a hydraulic tensioner that worked off of engine oil pressure. This thing has an eccentric that you move tight or loose, and bolt it tight. How tight is too tight, and how loose is too loose? I have the thing apart again, it's amazing how fast you can do one of these things when you are pissed off. With my 1/4 air ratchet it took about 10 minutes.

[tracka96]

You need to take the time to learn to do it right. go to any of jtgh's posts and click on the link on the bottom, then sit back and relax and do some reading. Or, you can just keep guessing and possibly ruin the engine, up to you, Tracka96

[jtgh]

your spring is missing.! That was easy , LOL

and you didnt relax the valves,
this is not a live spring or live hydroalic tension system
it is a , spring preload , then lock system. the spring is very weak, even new.!
here is the perfect mind set ( try to get cam loose , so the belt feels all the tension of that tiny spring, see? , that is the key here. , the key to life)


Just let that tiny spring set the tension ,then lock it down.

if overloaded the belt will shred in no time flat. it is not run like a serpintine belt.
not at all. (eg 100 lbs force)

timing belt swap

see 16v procedure, if that is what you have. you didnt say.

for some reason , the factory 8v procedure says.
sparks plugs out
cam liters loose so the cam does not cause a bias on the belt. ( important )
now remove the belt.
put in a new one. (arrow on belt CW, only cheap crap belts have arrows)

then release the tensioner spring (see photos) , now rotate it says , crank with cam and all 2 turns (IIRC) ( it forgets to say rotate CW , clock wise only,gee)
and then this action lets the spring work against the belt and average out all the slack and all. then lock down the tensioner pulley.

the 8v procedure ,does a far better job of explaining it all.

I have both there, the 16v has E up, on 8v has the notch up.
and the 8v has 2 diff. cam pulleys that can be confusing.
on the 8v make darn sure you know where the cam key way is located.
see photos from below cam pully.
some pulleys have a false key way there , see it?

the 8v proc. is better. the 16v assumes too much.
since both are i same manual maybe they figured youd read both.

Once the spring is locked it is useless, till next time, so getting right the first time is important to long life.
it does wiggle about a tad ,when running. that is its habit.

cheers. hope that helps.

ps. some nice guy here ,found the queer 8v pulley issues, thanks PETE, where ever you are, thanks for THAT clue.!