Time to replace timing belt. Any hints or tips? Tool Ideas?

[JesseN]

So I am creeping up to about 60,000 on my timing belt since it's last change and am afraid it's way overdue. In the manual it talks about some type of SST tool needed to hold the crankshaft so you can break the force. I assume this tool is expensive and hard to find. How can I make one? What do you guys use? Any thing I should watch out for when taking everything apart? Anything I can lose that might be a royal PITA? How long should I expect the job to take?

Thank you so much!

Jesse

[Petros]

no SST needed, just some smarts. can be done in about 2.5 hours, but first time it will take longer. drain the coolant and remove the radiator to get it out of the way, pull the fan pulley off the water pump, than remove the front cover. ONe list member invented this clever but simple way to keep the crank from turning: pull the number one spark plug and, with the number one cylinder on the compression stroke (but not all the way up), feed in a length of soft cord or rope through the spark plug hole, leave the end hanging out. Than turn the crank with the big breaker bar and socket on the front bolt to bring the cylinder to press against the rope and stop it dead. than you can break the front bolt loose from the pulley with a cheater bar on the breaker if necessary. It helps to put some penetrating oil on the front bolt the night before. Make sure the cylinder is on the compression stroke or you risk bending the valves if they are not seated. you pull the rope out when you are done.

once broken free you can usually wiggle the front pulley off. A couple of whacks from either side with a soft mallet usually is all you need to break it free. sometimes if the front pulley is rusted into place you need a puller. I have a home made one I made from a block of aluminum with two holes that line up with the bolt holes on the front pulley. I put a deep socket on the end of the crank and than use the two long bolts to put pressure on the deep socket, and it pulls the front pulley off as I tighten the two bolts. Or you can rent a gear puller, though it is rarely necssary.

You might want to consider replacing the front main seal when you replace the timing belt, because you are right there anyway and it is a lot of trouble to do later. do NOT remove the front oil pump to replace the oil seal as the FSM says, you will not be able to keep the pan from leaking if you do. Use a thin screw driver to get under the front seal around the crank and pop it out. and use a plastic mallet or a plastic pipe as a tool to install the new seal (I also use gasket sealant on the seal seat to kind of glue to hold in the new seal).

Good luck.

[danzo]

So I am creeping up to about 60,000 on my timing belt since it's last change and am afraid it's way overdue.

Jesse, why would you think it's overdue? I believe the owner's manual did not specify a TB change interval. These are not interference engines so even if it breaks you won't ruin your engine. But with only 60k on the belt it won't break for awhile. I wouldn't start losing sleep on this at least until Hillary starts her second term.