Timing Belt Tensioner Pulley

[WYSpider]

I'm replacing the head gasket on my 1980 carbed 2.0 liter engine. I'm ready to remove the timing belt - have engine at TDC, marked old timing belt, etc.

It is my understanding is that I do not have to remove the crankshaft pulley, as instructed by the shop manual, to remove/replace the timing belt. That is suffices to remove the water pump pulley and rotate the timing pointer so I have room to replace the timing belt.

The shop manual says that I need to loosen the bolt marked A and pry the tensioner pulley towards the passenger's side to release the tension on the timing belt.

Question #1: How loose is loose? Does A look like it is loosened enough?
Question #2: What do I pry against to move the tensioner pulley?

Note: the nut on the tensioner pulley is still installed. That metal timing belt shield is missing from my car so I didn't remove the tensioner pulley nut.

[81SPIDERMATT]

might be the wrong nut.... the nut that holds the pulley on.... tensioner has a big hole behind that wwasher and floats and moves around the bolt that the nut is on... know what i mean.... loosen the nut move the pully over and tighten the nut to hold pully out of the way and spring compressed more than it is now..... replace belt... lossen bolt and pully will push to its needed spot and tighten belt.... then tighten bolt and done

[81SPIDERMATT]

tighten bolt A back up... pry point will be obvious now ... just push that pulley... cant remember but i may have used the bolt that you loosend in first pic as my pry point

wont be as hard to move as you think

[131]

That bolt still needs to be loose, that's where the assembly pivots, a 1/4 turn is plenty. The 17mm not on the stud that goes through the middle of the bearing also needs to be loosened, once you've moved the tensioner assembly, tighten it back up until you need to tension the new belt.

[WYSpider]

Thanks guys, I'll give it a try.

[WYSpider]

Worked like a charm. Timing belt came off easily w/o having to remove the crankshaft pulley! I'm stoked.

[WYSpider]

Here are the pistons in all their carbon glory.

[Giancarlo]

I'm about to replace my timing belt and saw that you had just done yours. How do I know when the engine is at TDC and my camshafts are lined up? I don't know whether to set it to 10° advance, 5° advance, or 0° advance on the crankshaft pulley..

[azruss]

If the old belt is still on, rotate to TDC using the long timing mark. you can pull the #1 spark plug and use a straw or something long and soft to put in the hole to touch the top of the piston. you can now watch your "gage" to get TDC right on. Once you have this established pull the timing cover and look at the alignment hole in the cam pulleys and see if they line up with the pointer. At the same time look at the hole in the aux shaft pulley. it should be somewhere around 2 o'clock, give or take. Only the distributor is set to a static advance. the cams to crank timing is always 0TDC.

[westy64]

I'm about to replace my timing belt and saw that you had just done yours. How do I know when the engine is at TDC and my camshafts are lined up? I don't know whether to set it to 10° advance, 5° advance, or 0° advance on the crankshaft pulley..

if you replace a timing belt on an engine which was well set up, you do not need to put your crankshaft in a special position,
BUT you need to lock any pulley (camshafts, auxiliary,crankshaft) in the former position during the whole job.
The easiest to lock the crankshaft is to engage rear gear and put the parking brake.
Camshafts can be locked together with wire or any convenient lace.
Auxiliiary can be marked to remember it's place.
If the pulleys don't move while you replace the belt, it's all good.

Usually people put the crankshaft at TDC for cyl 1, having the camshafts facing their marks, so it's easier if anything happens, but for a single replacement, it is not absolutely necessary.

[Giancarlo]

Hell yeah. Thanks, guys. I'll let you know what happens!

[Giancarlo]

Thanks "azruss" and "westy64." Your tips worked and I got the new belt on perfectly. Thanks for the advice and help! Much appreciated!

[WYSpider]

Update
Head is being rebuilt in Jon Logan's (midwest124.com) shop. Installed the water pump and want to replace the tensioner pulley. The pulley is in the position needed to slip the timing belt off. Anything special involved? I've looked in my shop manual and Brooklands and didn't see anything covering removing the pulley.

[81SPIDERMATT]

hope others correct me if i am wrong... it has been a while... tighten bolt A and that should hold things still.. remove nut holding on pulley.. remove and replace pulley... tighten down nut holding pulley .... then when putting on belt remember to loosen bolt A so that things will move... put on belt ... loosen pulley nut ... pulley should create tension against belt... tighten pulley nut and bolt A .. viola