Guide: How to change/adjust timing belt

[Biotoxic]

For Volvo S40 1.9 TD Sport 2003 with Renault engine

For those who don't have a VADIS. If you have, all information can be found there.

Before you do that. Don't hold me responsible of you mess up something, do that on your own risk. If you time it wrong it could lead to catastrophic engine failure.

About Guide, first pictures shows how it should look like when its correct.
Then fallowed how to remove/install the timing belt.
Then fallowed by my guide how to set timing correctly if, for some reason, belt isn't attached or it has jumped over those grooves on pulleys.
I am not 100% sure if you need to time oil pump as well.


So then.

This is how it should look like from the bottom. Pulley on the left is belt tensioner, pulley on the right is water pump.


This is called TDC(Top Dead Centre)


You can use spanner and turn bottom crankshaft pulley(use the bolt to move the timing belt, gear lever/stick should be in neutral position so that gearbox doesn't engage) clockwise or you can turn it by camshaft pulley until you rotate it to TDC. <--sounds complicated but its not.

I didn't make pictures how I removed timing belt cover, but its easy enough to find few bolts that holds that cover.

Things you will need, Axle stands, car jack, some spanners, timing belt itself or with tensioners(as a timing belt kit) and plenty of time.
So then
1. Remove the engine cover(if you have one)
2. Jack up the car and put on axle stands(for your own safety and for better access to timing belt)
3. Remove driver's side front wheel and turn steering wheel fully right.
4. Remove plastic covers closer to engine itself( if there is any)
5. Remove ECU, there's 2 bolts that are easier to access from underneath the car, then remove 2 top bolts(marked as green squares) from engine bay.

6. Use spanner and push it downwards(clockwise) to release auxiliary belt tensioner(marked red) and remove belt.


7. Using spanner turn the engine(clockwise) so that TDC is marked where it should be.(Second image from the top)
8. To unscrew crank shaft pulley bolt, you might need to insert locking pin into a crankshaft itself, so that crankshaft and camshaft won't move when you unscrew or tighten crankshaft pulley.
I won't type all those instructions, because its all on the paper anyway, make sure you read it and understand it.


This basically covers most of the things.
Set TDC and mark camshaft, diesel pump marks as show in picture.
9. Remove Crankshaft pulley.
10. To remove timing belt cover and belt itself you have to remove one of the engine mounts. It will look like this. Don't worry, engine is secured with another 2 mounting brackets( 3 in total)

For more space remove the whole unit, locations of the bolts are shown in image No. 5 (marked red)




There comes some options.

2.0 If you are just changing timing belt itself(with/without changing pulleys)
3.0 if you are adjusting timing.

2.1 So you just marked timing belt TDC for camshaft and diesel pump as show in pictures No. 7
2.2 Take spanner and loosen belt tennsioner

it moves up & down or from left to right( depends from which angle you are looking at it) when it's loosen.

2.3 Using your fingers remove timing belt from crankshaft pulley by sliding it slowly towards yourself(if you are standing by the right side of the car).
If it's not moving well, remove it completely from belt tensioner first, then from diesel/petrol pump and crankshaft pulley.

2.4 Just remove timing belt and swap it with new one(or change pulleys as well, once you have removed engine mounting bracket, there should be enough space for tools and your hands)

2.5 Make sure that only thing that could move easily should be the diesel pump and belt tensioner. If you are not changing pulleys, make sure they are spinning freely and that there is no loose movement in them, only good movement is if they are spinning clockwise or anti clockwise. If there is some other movement, change pulleys as well.

2.6 New timing belt installation in order: Crankshaft pulley, Water pump, diesel pump, camshaft pulley and belt tensioner as a last one.

2.7 Make sure that crankshaft pulley and camshaft pulley doesn't move when you are installing timing belt on the pulleys. When its installed check if the TDC is still in the same position as it was before you removed timing belt OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!!!!


2.8 Use extra spanner to adjust tensioner, you shouldn't be able to tilt timing belt more than 40-45 degrees, If you can, adjust tensioner strength even more so that the belt is not loose between camshaft pulley and diesel pump.
When you have finished tightening belt tensioner, install crankshaft pulley and make sure that bolt is tighten very tight.

2.9 Put back on that engine mount that you removed, make sure all the bolts are tight. Suggestion: Don't put on the timing belt cover just yet, you might need to adjust timing later on.

2.10 Very Important: Use the spanner to turn the engine over at least 2 times, if there is no significant resistance when you are turning the engine then its ok, but if you can't do that and its feels like it's stuck, you probably messed up and camshaft or crankshaft pulley has moved when you installed/or tightened timing belt tensioner.
NOTE: Double check If you have removed locking pin and screwed that bolt back in place. If you haven't removed that pin you won't be able to turn over the engine!!!

2.11 Install auxiliary belt.

2.12 If everything looks ok start the engine. Get someone to look at the both belts and if something doesn't looks right tell him to shout to switch off the engine. I forgot to tighten crankshaft pulley bolt, so after about 5 seconds when the engine was running that pulley came almost off...... luckily I noticed that battery warning light come on the dashboard, so I switched off the engine..

2.13 When you are satisfied with your work and timing is all right you can remove engine mount and install timing belt cover, and put all things back together.


This covers timing belt change.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adjusting timing.

If for some reason your engine sounds like this

+ YouTube Video

You need to adjust timing itself, after that it should sound even better than this ( I changed oil as well, it was Mobil 1 0W..for turbo diesel engines)

+ YouTube Video

last video wasn't mine.


This is mostly for those who installed timing belt themselves.
If you can hear that metallic sound, you need to adjust timing.

This worked for me.

So then

3.1 Turn engine to TDC like in second image from the top.

3.2 Slacken off/unscrew belt tensioner and remove timing belt from Camshaft pulley.

here it comes....


3.3 Use the spanner to move camshaft pulley fully to the left and mark TDC positions on the metal just behind camshaft pulley. When you have marked that position, turn the camshaft pulley fully to the right and mark TDC position again(it should be where it supposed to be, but if it is not then mark it.

In picture looks like this


Explanation: Those two red lines represents how much I can move camshaft pulley till it stops(until it hits piston heads), its actually 1cm on each side, margin of error is about 0.5cm
From one red line to another is 2cm.

In my case that carrot colour is the best position for my timing, because engine doesn't make that metallic sound from the first video.

You might need to find you own best configuration for this.

I will use my picture as guide.

How to adjust timing?

3.3 To perfectly adjust timing in the middle you must move camshaft pulley and diesel pump DTC's very slightly to the right(clockwise) no more than fraction, no more than 0.2-0.4cm
Its because when you tighten timing belt pulley, belt will move slightly to the right(counter clockwise) that's why you have to compensate that.

3.4 When you have tightened timing belt pulley, turn the engine over at least twice, if there is no significant resistance, start the engine and listen for any metallic noises or irregularities in idle, if your timing is completely wrong engine wont work, ether to bent rods or valves or just bad timing.
If you are not satisfied with that sound you can move that TDC slightly to the left or right..

3.5 Anyway, this is how it should look


3.6 don't forget to screw all things back together.



Notes/Important:
When you are using crankshaft locking pin, make sure it fits and that you have put that in right hole. When you insert that pin, you shouldn't be able to move crankshaft at all, if you can then pin is not in right hole.

make sure that locking pin is from strong material(not aluminium or other soft metal)..... mine broke... I had to remove sump so that I can remove that broken of peace... I wasn't happy....

Its nothing hard actually, I was scared to do anything with timing, now when I know how its done, I will change timing belts to all my cars Except 3rd car from now, which will be an electric one

And that's about it.

[Volvon]

AWESOME! Thanks! I'm with you on the electric car also!

If you use a cam locking tool I presume you don't need to know timing marks or time it etc? Just put belt on remove cam locking tool and your done?

[Biotoxic]

I just noticed your post hyvää I don't think its that easy. I think that cam locking tool is used to lock cam at any position, and its mostly used on petrol engines, as they don't have locking groove in crankshaft(apparently) thats what I have heard. Well If I had that tool I would use it 110% it will make adjusting easier.

[Volvon]

Well I checked my belts after all the panicking for the last 20k miles waiting for the inevitable "snap", the belt looks good, quite taught, and there are the tippex marks on the cam sprockets, so it looks like I have a while before I have to do mine. I'm on 122k Miles atm so I think I will do it at 130K just to be safe.

[Biotoxic]

Note to myself and good advice to others.
If you are planing to save some £££ on timing belt kit, by just buying a timing belt itself, not the whole kit, then you are making a big mistake...

On may way home at 5 am I wanted to turn on the heater, after about 1 minute nothing happened... cold air was still coming from the vents, although heat was on full. So I stopped after few miles to check if my coolant level is ok.
It was ok, but looked like there is some extra water in expansion tank.. So I bleeded air from the system(engine off).Radiator fan was on full power.
Then I drove off( still without hot or warm air coming from the vents)

Got home and opened up the bonnet/hood while engine was still running.
Good thing was that I still haven't installed back that timing belt cover, so I could see if everything is working(spinning) ok.

Looked fine apart from one pulley... its so called belt tensioner and it looks like this


it looked a bit suspicious... when I looked closer, I've noticed that it is not spinning......................................... Looks like it is seized....
Today is Sunday... There is no garages opened today.. cant get belt tensioner.. I have night shift tonight.. 40 mile roundtrip.... this is bad.
I am going to remove that pulley and maybe I can fix it( just a temporary measure)..

Can I get gen. volvo tensioner from ebay ASAP, in one to two days time?

[richardbr]

Thanks for the pics and commentary.....well done.

[ma70]

EDIT-: why was this post at the top of the first page when the last post was in june? lol
Just one thing I'd add (or rather subtract) from the guide. one should NEVER turn a belt driven engine by the camshaft pulley, this puts a lot of stress on the cambelt teeth & can potentially cause teeth to shear off at the crank pulley if it's well overdue for a change.

Only way you should ever manually turn an engine over is clockwise, via the crank pulley bolt. It's a lot easier if you remove spark plugs (petrol) or glow plugs (derv) as you're not fighting compression then. Otherwise, 5*

[foeism]

I take it this cam/aux belt change would be the same for any engine?

[skyship007]

Originally Posted by foeism

I take it this cam/aux belt change would be the same for any engine?

It's a great guide, BUT it's only for the V40 1.9D. The Haynes book of "Porkie pies", will cover petrol V40 engines.

If any keen Vadis or other software owner wants to add to this guide, it is missing two sections, use of a suitable locking tool to ensure the cam shaft does not move when the belt is changed and a section on changing the water pump.
The original OEM water pump (Might well NOT be the same standard as the current Volvo part) lasts a very long time, as do some high quality aftermarket ones, like the pump included in the Gates or Continental service kits. That means some folks just inspect the pump for side and end float bearing wear (Or coolant weeps), rather than change it every cam belt and tensioner interval.
If you do that, make sure the previous pump was a real OEM standard one (OEM Volvo, Gates or Conti) and NOT SOME FAR EAST JOB, cos their bearings are carp and tend to seize when old (Wiping out the cam belt) AND always change the coolant for genuine Volvo 50/50 mix green stuff, not some tap water mix from Fleabay or your local Iffy parts shop.
In reality the coolant should be changed every 2 years according to the Volvo bible AND not topped up with anything but the real McCoy Volvo green mix. The V40 cooling system is well sealed so I only use about half a tea cup for an annual (20K km) top up. If you need to top up more often, check for leaks or even a dodgy HG.

OFF TOPIC:
Just read an interesting post about a Renault diesel that lasted 600K km before the car around it fell apart. OEM head gasket, injectors and turbo still fitted. All the owner did was exactly what Renault list for a severe service routine as regards fluids. Castrol Edge 0w30 in winter and Shell Helix Ultra 5w40 in summer, changed every 10K km (Renault severe service OCI). So there is hope for us long term V40 compression ignition types staying out of the, new turbo, mayo in the oil or sludged out threads after all!

[tommy t4]

There is an even easier way if you not confident in changing the belt and getting the timing right, if you cut the timing belt along its length in half (not width) as you crank the engine over on the crank pulley, so your left with half the belt on the pulleys simple push the new belt half on so it's touching the half of the old belt on all the pulleys, then carefully cut old belt of along its width, and then push and slide the new belt fully on........
No timing to do as it has stayed in time perfectly and literally half the time