Timing belt and front seals

[2011dandd]

Hey

Bloody long time no post, just got hold of another 240 with the 2.3 engine ( is that the b230f? ) it’s done a fair few miles About 220 000, timing belt was last changed in 2016.

I’m desperate to have a go at replacing the timing belt myself and doing the front oils seals whilst one there. I have watched loads of videos and read lengthy how too’s

I would like to buy the Crank pulley tool to undertake the job? Wondered what thoughts were on this? is it worth it?

I have never done a timing belt before but I have done lots on old tractor engines (all except timing chains and oil seals really)

Should I scratch this itch ??

[Stephen Edwin]

Hello.

Your starting point for information re changing the timing belt is Mike Brace's how to in the Articles part of this section of the forum.

The crankshaft tool is excellent. I bought one. Loki owns it now because I received another one at an absolute bargain deal.

And there are various tried workarounds. Clifford Pope has an excellent method involving cutting the lower cover of the cam belt.

So far I have used the Volvo tool.

Loki in this forum loans the tool to forum members by post.

I'm not young and am slower than slow and I had never done a timing belt before. But it had to be done so ....

You can twiddle a spanner, you have whatever determination you may need, you will do it.
And then you will be dispensing experience, just like olde fool me, no you will dispense better experience than Olde me !

Enjoy!!



.

[CosmicBike]

I changed the one on my B200F which mechanically speaking is no different from a cambelt change perspective to the B230. One of the easiest ones I've done, and I used the Clifford Pope method of cutting off just the lower part of the cover to avoid the need for the tool. Of course doing it this way prohibits changing the front oil seal, but that's only worth changing if it's actually leaking, otherwise leave well alone.
Don't bother with a new tensioner, unless you find the current one is worn. Mine is 180,000 miles young and the tensioner had no play, so I have a spare one in the garage since I'm used to Ford engines which do need them changing with the belt. Ditto the water pump, if it's OK leave it, they are not the best design ever and need a bit of care when fitting a new one to avoid leaks.

[Stephen Edwin]

Thank you for that Cosmic.

And re the water pump ... from what I read in the forum the current genuine Volvo pump is not the best. There is a make regularly recommended in the forum.

And. Fitting is apparently a bit of a faff.

Basically if the water pump is working, keep it and leave it alone, real old original ones last and last ... if you need a new pump get advice in the forum what make to buy.



.

[Bugjam1999]

I don’t have a tool to lock the crank, I use a battery powered impact wrench to take the bottom pulley bolt off and replace it.

Get a set of seal picks to remove seals with, one of those jobs where having the correct tool makes all the difference.

Otherwise, follow the advice above and ask if you get stuck- it’s not a hard job.

Cheers

[Othen]

The above are right: changing the cam belt is an easy job on a red block motor, indeed I'd say it is the easiest OHC motor I've come across to work on in this respect (only one camshaft, inline, everything at the front, not many ancillaries, big engine bay...).

I'm not sure I'd bother changing the seals unless they are leaking. If I do change seals (mostly on 2-stroke bikes - they wear out quickly) I just use a self tapping screw, which works fine (but proper picks sound cool, I'd never thought of them so I might buy some).

Good fortune,

Alan

PS. The water pump is easily accessible (unlike most) and so pretty simple to change. I'm not sure I'd bother changing it unless the bearings were getting noisy or it was leaking somewhere. You could always come back to that later if you had a problem.

[2011dandd]

Thanks for the reply’s and advice folks.

Looking forward to getting on with it. Picking it up this weekend, very genuine chap selling it, his local garage told him there is a very very small slow drip from
The front of the engine, so I’m guessing on of the seals is passed it’s best.

Think I will remove the radiator and front grill for even more access and to see everything that but more clearly and easily.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by 2011dandd

Thanks for the reply’s and advice folks.

Looking forward to getting on with it. Picking it up this weekend, very genuine chap selling it, his local garage told him there is a very very small slow drip from
The front of the engine, so I’m guessing on of the seals is passed it’s best.

Think I will remove the radiator and front grill for even more access and to see everything that but more clearly and easily.

Ah, if it has a leak then you should fix it, leaking oil on a public road is not acceptable any more.

Good fortune,

Alan

[Clifford Pope]

It's worth tracing exactly where the oil drip is coming from before rushing in and assuming you need to change all the seals.

1) Main front crankshaft seal
2) Camshaft front seal
3) Timing cover gasket
4) Auxiliary shaft seal

In my experience timing cover gaskets are very difficult to seal 100% because of the way it bends upwards over the front cam bearing, with two sharp nips in the gasket at the bends.
It helps if you fold the new one on dry first to identify exactly where the bends come, and then pinching it a bit to make sure it fits snugly in place as you tighten the nuts.
A weep of oil from the gasket can run all the way round the seam unnoticed, and then it drips from somewhere else. Favourite places where it becomes noticeable are at the back, where oil can run down the bell housing and emerge underneath looking like a main oil seal leak, or at the front where it seeps down behind the plastic behind the belt and then comes out by the front pulley.
The camshaft oil seal does the same. But in my experience most small leakages do not get on to the timing belt - but it is really important to avoid that.

I agree about the tensioners lasting for years. I go by the noise it makes when you spin it. If it runs almost silently and freely than it's fine. If it sounds a bit rough then replace. But it's worth removing it and soaking in hot oil overnight - like prop shaft bearings they usually only need a bit of lubrication and they go on for ever then.
But do clean off all oil before refitting.

I'm always in great trepidation when first starting an engine with a new belt, in case I've done something wrong. The secret of an easy mind is to wind the engine over on a ratchet spanner slowly for several turns first, before fitting the cover, watching the belt very carefully to make sure it runs true and isn't creeping towards the edges of the pulleys.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Clifford Pope

It's worth tracing exactly where the oil drip is coming from before rushing in and assuming you need to change all the seals.

1) Main front crankshaft seal
2) Camshaft front seal
3) Timing cover gasket
4) Auxiliary shaft seal

In my experience timing cover gaskets are very difficult to seal 100% because of the way it bends upwards over the front cam bearing, with two sharp nips in the gasket at the bends.
It helps if you fold the new one on dry first to identify exactly where the bends come, and then pinching it a bit to make sure it fits snugly in place as you tighten the nuts.
A weep of oil from the gasket can run all the way round the seam unnoticed, and then it drips from somewhere else. Favourite places where it becomes noticeable are at the back, where oil can run down the bell housing and emerge underneath looking like a main oil seal leak, or at the front where it seeps down behind the plastic behind the belt and then comes out by the front pulley.
The camshaft oil seal does the same. But in my experience most small leakages do not get on to the timing belt - but it is really important to avoid that.

I agree about the tensioners lasting for years. I go by the noise it makes when you spin it. If it runs almost silently and freely than it's fine. If it sounds a bit rough then replace. But it's worth removing it and soaking in hot oil overnight - like prop shaft bearings they usually only need a bit of lubrication and they go on for ever then.
But do clean off all oil before refitting.

I'm always in great trepidation when first starting an engine with a new belt, in case I've done something wrong. The secret of an easy mind is to wind the engine over on a ratchet spanner slowly for several turns first, before fitting the cover, watching the belt very carefully to make sure it runs true and isn't creeping towards the edges of the pulleys.

Good points by Clifford,

You may add the sump gasket and the fuel pump drive gasket to the list, both much less likely than the cam cover gasket but worth checking. I find the best way to locate leaks without taking everything apart is to clean everything up (Screwfix de-greaser in hot water is cheapest and the best I've found) then give everything a liberal coat of talcum powder (the sort for baby's bums - it is very fine), start the motor and trace where it is coming from.

Clifford is right, the chances are it is coming from somewhere high up on the engine, and most likely the cam cover (which is tricky to seal where the gasket makes those 2 unnecessary right-angle bends). You don't strictly need to remove the cam cover to change the belt, but you might as well because it makes it easier to see what is going on. Have a gasket ready (a whole upper gasket set can be had for £20 or there about, worth getting as you might need others).

Whilst you have the cam cover off there is an opportunity to check the valve clearances - it only takes about 15 minutes so I'd say it is worth doing on a new (to you) motor. Make notes of the clearances so you can decide whether or not to do anything about them if they are out of tolerance later on (checking is easy, adjusting is a bit more involved).

I agree with Clifford that it is a good idea to wind everything over by hand a few times with the cam cover off to check for gross errors.

Good fortune,

Alan