Timing Belt Tightening

[Bernie Benz]

> From: Kneale Brownson <knotnook at traverse.com>
> 
> I'm redoing my timing belt on the 200q20v because I flubbed up the
> crankshaft seal installation last fall and had a fairly good oil leak.    I
> since acquired the 2080A tool that puts the seal in properly instead of
> guessing whether it's right using sockets as I did before.  I then followed
> the Bentley directions for tightening the belt with the water pump so that
> I can twist it 90 degrees with forefinger and thumb at the midpoint between
> camshaft pulley and water pump pulley.  I rotated the engine several times
> and found the adjustment the same.  So I buttoned 'er up and was starting
> to install the belt deflection limiter on the passenger side when I
> remembered I'd forgotten to torque the camshaft pulley bolt.  So I take the
> cover off again and notice there's a fair amount of slack between the
> crankshaft pulley and the camshaft pulley.  I noticed this because I
> reinstalled the 2084 crank holder so I could torque the camshaft bolt, and
> had to nudge the crank pulley a bit to line it up for the tool.
Kneale, You didn't tighten the cam shaft sprocket bolt using the crank
holder as the back up torque did you?!?!  If so, bad show!  Putting an
abnormal stress on the TB.

> Do you
> normally "take the slack out" of the belt between the cam and crank pulleys
> before tightening the other side with the water pump?
Turning it over a few times does that.  Sounds like you have a too loose
belt and are asking for cam drive train torsional vibration problems.  IMO
the belt should be so tight that the 90 deg. twist is all that you can
muster without a tool.  Don't be timid, better tight than loose.

As an aside, was the old crank oil seal leaking?  DFI if IAB!

Bernie

> The Bentley says nothing about snugging up that side of the belt before
>tensioning with the water pump.