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SPI Timing Belt Change How to

78K views 44 replies 22 participants last post by  zeller4 
#1 ·
Recently changed my timing belt so I thought I would try writing a little how to.


1. You may need to raise your car some to get a little better access, but it's not a requirement unless your car is really low.

2. Under the car you will need to remove the belt shield. It is held by 2 bolts. Sorry no pictures but very easy to find and remove.

3. I found it helpful to also remove the wheel well skirt on the passenger side of the car as well. Simply remove the plastic screws on the skirt and pull out the locks. There may also be one torques screw.

4. You will need to remove your water tank.



5. Use a jack and a block of wood to hold your engine under the oil pan. This will keep it from falling and putting undue stress on the other mounts.



6. Next you are going to have to remove the passenger side engine mount.



7. Once this is out you will have more room to remove the accessory belt.



8. Once this is out you will also need to remove the timing belt covers. There is the metal one on top that has 4 bolt and a plastic lower one, that is hard to get to. The plastic one has 3 or 4 small bolt.

9. Once these are out you will need to remove your harmonic balancer (the pulley on the crank shaft). This one is hard to get out. There are a few not to safe ways to get it out that I wont mention here. Be safe.

10. Now that this is off, you will want to line up the timing marks before you remove the belt. Look for the mark on the crank and one on the cam pulley. You will want to line these up so that they are pointing up. To turn them, do so by turning the crank clock wise only. It would be easier if the spark plugs are pulled, and make sure you put the car in neutral if you have a MTX.

11. Once your lines are lined up, remove your timing belt. You will need a 8mm allien wrench to pull back the timing belt tensioner.



12. Check your tensioner for wear, I needed to replace mine.

13. Double check your timing marks, and install the new belt, by starting at the crank and going counter clockwise.

14. After you have it in double check your timing marks again.

15. There good, triple check it by turning you crank clockwise 2 turns and the marks should be in line still. If not U will need to remove the belt and try again.

16. Put it all back together. Make sure you put the accessory belt on before you reinstall the engine mount, as this is a lot easier.

Warning, this all sound very easy, but can be very difficult if you are not experienced. This can also be dangerous, as you will be working with tools and heavy parts. I take no responsibility for any out come good or bad if you try this. This is meant for informational purposes only. I recommend that you have someone to help you, preferably someone experienced. Sorry there are not more picture, but my hands were dirty and I was trying to finish. Project took about 4 hours, including a run to the parts store to get new tentioner.

Hope this helps.
Also if there is anything missing or if you have any suggestions please post it.
 
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#3 ·
Thank you, I had a little over 114,000 miles. I was starting to get a little nervous. I still need to add to this, torque specs and so. Hope to get it updated soon.
 
#7 ·
ok so i finally got around to changing my timing belt yesterday. Wow it was rediculousely easy. Literally only took me 30 to 45 minutes. And most the time seemed like it was just jackin up my car. LOL. But really, its easy and if you need it done then give it a try
 
#10 ·
Yes, it's the pulley on the crankshaft.

You need to find a way to keep the pulley from turning while you try to wrestle the bolt loose. On slotted pulleys I have braced metal bars (screwdriver shafts) through the pulley and caught them on something solid on the backside. A good strap/chain wrench may grab with enough grip to do it, I used a strap wrench when I put the pulley back on (100k miles ago so it's held) but haven't tried it for removal.

On the Focus, I used the starter to turn the motor with a breaker bar/socket on the pulley and braced on the garage floor.....this is the not-so-safe-way I think he is mentioning. VERY IMPORTANT, you must have the plug wires or coil unplugged or the motor will fire.....this is bad with a loose pulley bolt ! Also the breaker bar will probably go flying across the garage (mine did) so it's important not to have any body standing around or anything breakable nearby. If I would have thought about it more, I would have draped a towel over the breaker bar handle or something.
 
#11 ·
Yes, it's the pulley on the crankshaft.

You need to find a way to keep the pulley from turning while you try to wrestle the bolt loose. On slotted pulleys I have braced metal bars (screwdriver shafts) through the pulley and caught them on something solid on the backside. A good strap/chain wrench may grab with enough grip to do it, I used a strap wrench when I put the pulley back on (100k miles ago so it's held) but haven't tried it for removal.

On the Focus, I used the starter to turn the motor with a breaker bar/socket on the pulley and braced on the garage floor.....this is the not-so-safe-way I think he is mentioning. VERY IMPORTANT, you must have the plug wires or coil unplugged or the motor will fire.....this is bad with a loose pulley bolt ! Also the breaker bar will probably go flying across the garage (mine did) so it's important not to have any body standing around or anything breakable nearby. If I would have thought about it more, I would have draped a towel over the breaker bar handle or something.
I'll bet that added some excitment to the job!!!! [thumb]

Sounds like a strap wrench is the way to go. Is it completely necessary to take off the pulley? Can't the timing belt be taken off around the pulley after it is loose from the engine? Also, is there a torque spec for these bolts? I didn't see them on the general torque specs that were included in another thread.

Also, I saw a picture in a thread for the DOHC engine and using marks on the cam shaft pulley, drive shaft pulley, and the belt. Are there not top dead center marks on the pulleys to go by anymore?
 
#12 ·
Not too exciting, it hit the plastic trashcan so no damage. I believe it's necessary for the timing belt (not the job I was doing at the time combined with fuzzy memory may make me wrong) Most of the time there's a cover behind the pulley that covers the lower timing pulley.....if not that, there may be a flange around the bottom of the bottom timing gear which would also keep the belt from coming out around the pulley.

I've done a few timing belts on other cars and all needed the crank pulley removed for the above reasons. If only he would have snapped a picture through the wheelwell....sigh.

Our SOHC (SPI) has timing marks I believe but IIRC the DOHC does not (at least not on the cam gears)

I betcha can't get it off with a strap wrench though....I think I tried that before doing the other thing.
 
#14 ·
No, it's not but I noticed that that seems to be how everyone selling belts has them listed.....not sure why.
 
#15 ·
I would like to tip my hat to untenops for this great tutorial. I did my belt last week and my success was in great part to this thread.

I read MANY threads on this forum and I applied some of what I read elsewhere to my project.

Here are a couple tips to doing this job.

First, before you take the belt off, mark the old belt, both pullies, and where the pullies are in relation to the block. Then when you take the tensioner loose and remove the belt, you have your engine positions marked.

I would like to add a couple pictures, but I don't see where. [???:)]
 
#17 ·
It doesn't really matter where the postion of the crank and the cam crank are. If you mark your timing belt and pulleys BEFORE you remove the timing belt, you can simply mark the new belt in the same places as the old belt and install the new belt at the marks. That is what I did a couple weeks ago and it worked perfectly. If I could find how to add pictures I would post them for you to see.
 
#18 ·
What is my best bet if my timing belt has gone bad and snapped or fallen off? I have been told that this has happened to my car, and unfortunately I tried to start it a multitude of times... I have never done it before, but clever in figuring out how to do things right the first time around. Are there marks on the splines of a 2000 Focus LX SOHC that can help me align it?
 
#19 ·
location of timing marks .Your cylinder head has a mark on it that is dead center.you can see it from the window in the cam sprocket timing pointer, also the oil pump has a timing mark that is also dead center. Line up the crank sprocket timing pointer on that mark. Crankshaft at T.D.C(crank sprocket timing pointer aligned with oil pump. Timing mark and camshaft sprockret timing pointer aligned with cyn head timing mark. good luck. fordtec out!
 
#21 ·
.....also the oil pump has a timing mark that is also dead center.....
Yuppers - both timing marks straight up and you're good to go ( crank and cam). Silly me overlooked the timing mark on a 'NEW' oil pump housing - much too clean and shiny! And everything looks different off the car!! Kind of like how things look after a snow storm.......


moon111 - price depends on quality. You can buy belts for:

120k miles - Ford eom
90k miles -
60k miles - Dayco

belt and tensioner - $45 to 75+, over a year and a half ago though.
 
#22 ·
2000 Focus LX
2.0L SOHC engine

I changed out the timing belt and put it back together and it doesn't start. It gets a spark, I can tell it's getting gas, and I've taken it apart to ensure it's stayed aligned. It sounds like a normal start for the first half second after you crank it over, then it's a lower, weaker sound. Got a new battery, same result. The only part I was lost at when putting it back together was putting on the crankshaft pulley. The placement of it, etc. It had a notch in it, so I lined the notch in the pulley with the notch in the crank sprocket. I also removed the crank sensor in a work fever, and found I didn't really need to do it. I don't think that was the issue though.

In speaking to a friend, he said that the number one cylinder had to be up, with the crank sprocket and cam sprockets in 12 o'clock position. Since the belt went bad and stripped the teeth off one section of the old belt, it may have thrown off my cylinders or something. I know I can tell if a cylinder is up with the spark plug out, my question is which one is my number one cylinder, and can my cam sprocket mark be at 12 o'clock and the #1 cylinder not be up?
 
#23 ·
2000 Focus LX
2.0L SOHC engine

I know I can tell if a cylinder is up with the spark plug out, my question is which one is my number one cylinder, and can my cam sprocket mark be at 12 o'clock and the #1 cylinder not be up?
The #1 cylinder is closest to the belt(s).

"Can your #1 cylinder be TDC and cam NOT be at 12 o'clock?"

Yes. You can be on #1's Exhaust Stroke instead of the Compression Stroke (cam will be at 6 o'clock) - when your crank mark is straight up. Your crank turns two revolutions for every one revolution of the cam. For the Compression Stroke set Both the CAM and CRANK marks straight up. Use the marks on the head/block, oil pump housing to verify and for perfect accuracy the first time.

After you have installed the new belt, rotate the crank by hand two complete revolutions, clockwise, and check the markings again. Be sure not to hit a piston with a valve (debate is still on going if SOHC SPI is an interference engine or not).

Your bad belt slipped and the crank/cam weren't correctly positioned when the new belt was installed - MOST PROBABLE CAUSE.

Pages in Chiltons manual 2A-2 and 2A-4 show the markings to use for correct timing.

Also - your oil pump needs to be primed - VERY IMPORTANT, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

New oil pumps need to be primed by hand through the pick-up mounting hole before the oil pick-up tube is installed on the pump and before the oil pump is installed on the engine. Rotate the oil pump by hand a few times while filling it with oil - then install the pick-up tube. Then install on the engine. Once on the engine, monitor the oil pressure while cranking the engine for 15 second intervals until the pressure comes up. Don't start the engine until the pressure comes up.
 
#27 ·
Getting ready to tackle this job on a 2003 Ford Focus 2.0 SOHC SPI. Just curious on the following...

9. Once these are out you will need to remove your harmonic balancer (the pulley on the crank shaft). This one is hard to get out. There are a few not to safe ways to get it out that I wont mention here. Be safe.

10. Now that this is off, you will want to line up the timing marks before you remove the belt. Look for the mark on the crank and one on the cam pulley. You will want to line these up so that they are pointing up. To turn them, do so by turning the crank clock wise only. It would be easier if the spark plugs are pulled, and make sure you put the car in neutral if you have a MTX.

How can you tell that the marks on the crankshaft line up with the crankshaft pulley on? After you take the crankshaft pulley off what tool do you use to turn the crankshaft if the marks do not line up? Do you just put the crankshaft pulley back on since it is keyed and move the crankshaft with it?

Thanks for any help.
 
#28 ·
Spi is interference or my spi would still be running. My valves dropped because of jumped timing. Piston had to hit valves.

You line up crank with ratchet, no you don't remove balancer and put it back on. If your asking.questions like that you.should probably have someone else do it for you. Honestly timing belt on spi is so easy I'd do it for 50 bucks it's about a 30-60min job
 
#30 ·
Don't take it offensively I don't mean to be rude. Experience I'd a teacher I learned just just like you asking what I now consider to be retarded questions.. although mistakes have cost me. Sometimes it's better to watch and learn before going at it.

If I was in sc I would definitely come do it for us and teach you in the process.

Basically you want to turn crank to Tdc you do.this with a ratchet on the harmonic balancer there are several ways.to do.so.I would Google that first. How to find Tdc.

I use my thumb in the spark plug hole as well as feel for it as I'm cranking with the spark plug in. With the spark plug in the difference is slight but the crank will just be a little harder to turn its easier to tell.the faster you turn the crank because.the.pressure in the chamber will escape somewhat fast.
 
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