B230FK Timing Belt Conundrums.

[AllHailKingVolvo]

I got my local garage to do the cambelt on my 744, they supplied and fitted a full cambelt kit and clutch for £300, and the chief mech was champing at the bit to do the work as he’s a Volvo enthusiast. Win/win!

[Dirty Rooster]

Originally Posted by LPTJoe

...Can I get away with applying the handbrake/chocking the wheels/putting the car in fifth gear for to lock the engine for removal and re-fitting of the crank pulley?

Does the crank pulley bolt actually need specific torque values or will 'bloody tight' using my 2 foot breaker bar work ok?

Thanks in advance chaps

I haven't read the thread yet but for simply (hahahaha) changing in a new belt (and maybe tensioner spinny thingy) you do not need to lock the engine at all,
just remove those front plastic shields (and fan?),
move the tensioner back and lock it,
slice the existing (now a bit slack) cambelt in half lengthways, so half is still on all the pulleys,
push the new belt on half way, with the teeth exacly as the old one and the tighter side slacker side matching (you'll see when you do it)
remove all the old one by cutting it,
slide the new one on all the way,
re-tension, bingo.

In my experience "bloody tight" is good enough.

I was instructed in this by at least two different excellent garage mechanics.

(If you need to remove the big bottom crankshaft pulley all this goes out the window ...)

[Stephen Edwin]

Nice trick there Rooster. I do like the sound of that. Although I'm not sure I could manage to do the lengthways cut.

I'm trying to remember. How does one remove the lower part of the cambelt cover without removing the crankshaft pulley? Unless one follows the cut the lower cover method, and then no need to do the cut the cambelt lengthways trick?

Or. I think your method is really about how to get belt teeth aligned on the pulleys without needing to line up alignment marks?

Or. I'm confuddled. Yes again.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Dirty Rooster

I haven't read the thread yet but for simply (hahahaha) changing in a new belt (and maybe tensioner spinny thingy) you do not need to lock the engine at all,
just remove those front plastic shields (and fan?),
move the tensioner back and lock it,
slice the existing (now a bit slack) cambelt in half lengthways, so half is still on all the pulleys,
push the new belt on half way, with the teeth exacly as the old one and the tighter side slacker side matching (you'll see when you do it)
remove all the old one by cutting it,
slide the new one on all the way,
re-tension, bingo.

In my experience "bloody tight" is good enough.

I was instructed in this by at least two different excellent garage mechanics.

(If you need to remove the big bottom crankshaft pulley all this goes out the window ...)

What he said! ^^^^^

Alternatively, by yourself one of these :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0036YHBMM

It will remove the crank pulley bolt without needing to lock everything. Then torque it up to the correct torque after.

Alternatively a cranked ring spanner and a lump hammer will shift it, again without locking or a T-bar and socket.

Remove the auxiliary belts (PAS, alternator etc) before you start.

Once the bolt has been loosened, use a ratchet and socket to do it back up and turn the engine to the timed position (from memory without checking, #1 @ TDC), remove the bolts/clips etc on the upper cover and remove the cover, reverse the ratchet direction and give it a sharp tap to loosen the crank bolt again, check you haven't disturbed the timing (shouldn't have done), undo the bolt and pull the pulley off, followed by the lower cover.

Slacken the timing belt tensioner locknut, lever the tensioner out of the way and re-tighten the tensioner locknut. Remove the old belt, fit the new one starting from the crank pulley, over the auxiliary pulley (this isn't timed) and up to the cam pulley. Stretch the belt to reach the cam pulley or carefully turn the cam pulley 1/2 a tooth clockwise (as viewed from the front) to aid the belt slipping on then over the tensioner.

Release the tensioner locknut, it should pull back the 1/2 tooth on the cam pulley and tension as per spec (i can't remember the tensioning procedure but can check if necessary), refit the lower cover and pulley including bolt, turn the engine on the crank pulley 2 complete turns and recheck the timing marks and tension, if all is good, refit the upper cover, tighten the crank pulley bolt either FT or to the correct setting, refit the aux belts and tension - go and have a drink!

If you really struggle to shift the crank pulley bolt, this method works but is a bit errr.......... "violent".

Remove the RSR to prevent it firing, fit the right socket onto a 2' breaker bar and put it on the crank pulley bolt with the handle of the breaker bar close to the ground pointing towards the passenger side. "Flick" the starter on the key so it turns for a split second, just enough to shift the bolt.

When i had my last 740, i did the timing belt in under an hour and that was with two coffee breaks and i can't move very quickly at all. If a garage has quoted you 2.5 hours, they're on the make somewhere!

[Chooch84]

You can make your own crank tool I took some dimensions down of the front pulley, I made a template that you put on top of a 88.9mm tube and notch, then you'll need a flat bar and a welder... to complete the task.

The template is a PDF that should print out to scale...

[capt jack]

As you're in Durham, why not drive down the A19 to York, and get the belt changed at Dyrdals? They will do it 100% correctly, and they won't charge the earth. While you're waiting have a wander around York itself. No need even to pay for parking, or the park'n'ride as Dyrdals are ten minutes walk along the river from the city centre.

Lovely day out, cambelt done properly, back home in time for tea. Sounds good to me!

Cheers

Jack

[Dirty Rooster]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

...If you really struggle to shift the crank pulley bolt, this method works but is a bit errr.......... "violent". ...

The garage I use has a tool : a long bar with a freely-pivoted few-inch bar with the right socket welded on, which is smacked with a hammer to loosen (and tighten) that bugger of a crankshaft pulley bolt down there.
It was fun to use!!
Exact torque was not a consideration

[baggy798]

To loosen it you can also place the breaker bar against the chassis rail.



You don't really need a torque wrench as the first stage is 60 Nm which can be guessed easily, and then you have to angle tighten it 60°. What I did was put the engine at #1 TDC, fit the holding tool, and took a picture of the crank pulley noting the position of the bolt before undoing it. Then when angle tightening I just made sure the bolt was in the same orientation originally. You could also tippex it.

To tighten it with no holding tool? Have someone stand on the brakes, or lock the pulley like in that video, or put the breaker bar on the opposite chassis rail and buzz the starter, or rope trick?

You won't need to buy a new bolt, it's massive and won't ever wear out!

Buy a genuine Volvo belt, they're practically the same price and at least then you know it's good for 100,000 miles or 6 years. Genuine tensioner is about £55 I think.

[LPTJoe]

Right, thought I'd better update this thread rather than just vampiring help from the forum without providing any insight into my next steps

I was about to stump circa £60 for the special crank pulley locking tool from Volvo until I stumbled across an Ebay listing for a job lot of parts including genuine tensioner/exhaust hanger/rocker gasket unopened in Volvo branded bags, a Haynes book of fantasy, but more importantly a funky home made crank locking tool all for £27 posted! Needless to say I pulled the trigger and the parts turned up earlier in the week...

SAM_7111 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152293344@N05/]

I also ordered a Gates Powergrip belt too, I trust the Gates belts and at £11.50 it was very affordable...

SAM_7124 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152293344@N05/]

Another quick question, I've read talk of people re-tensioning/adjusting the tensioner after 600 miles or so... Is this necessary? What are people's feelings/wisdom about this?

[baggy798]

Well there is a rubber plug on the belt cover to access the tensioner so it's easy and no reason not to? If your belt cover is a bit broken like mine then it's just as quick to remove that too.

You just loosen the nut, turn the crank a little bit, then tighten to 60Nm IIRC.