Guide: How to change/adjust timing belt

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by 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

That is a neat little trick I have never come across before or even considered.

Provided you know the engine is timed correctly in the first place, it could save a lot of hassle as modern engines are getting more complex to time.

Two quick questions:

How easy is the belt to cut, I imagine it is quite tough material.

Presumably you would need to slacken the adjuster slightly, to remove the belt tension, but not enough to allow the belt to slip on any of the teeth and then re-tension the new belt once completely on the pulleys.