Tightening Accessory Belts

I tighten my alternator belt from through the top engine cover. I just wiggle the airbox off for easy access if required. Now I have a proper belt and not that piece of junk from Ferrari my belt doesn't squeak at all these days.
Ditch that belt!!

 

The air compressor took a couple of hours before it was off the car, I disconnected the hoses in the engine bay, and removed the condensor and fan. The hoses I left in, just incase I sold the car and the operation needed to be reversed. Reason I've never put the compressor back is because you can't get the gas and the whole system adds serious weight. I can also do my cambelt change in 2 hours now without the aircon.
Regards Bell

 

It only matters if everything goes to hell and it all moves without markings. In that case you are into deep surgery.

 

It is vital to establish TDC, it's very, very bad practice to change a cambelt without doing this even though technically you can. We leave those kind of antics to those folks on 'Scapheap Challenge' or 'Junkyard Challenge'
Regards Bell ;-)

 

You start with a perfect base if all marking points are set. If you pull belts at an at random position, it's a kind of lottery you start. And you know what the odds are on winning this...

It's a 5 minute job to put the engine on it's markings, so I've absolute no idea why you wouldn't do this.


Unless you are an Evil Kneevel like daredevil and like a gamble once and awile. But, then I know something better: never changes belts and keep on trucking. It's more fun and equal expensive if sh*t hits the fan.

 

Your A/C is in the way to get to it from the top. Jack it up and you can access it from below. Do you use stands please I have done this several times, but it is also on touch and feel as you cannot see the bolt on the arch side since the heat shield is in the way.

Regarding the belts I cannot disagree with the comments already given. For a quicky use locks like these.
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This is true....but remember that if you also mark the belts themselves, it will take 8 revolutions of the engine to get all marks on Cams as well as Belts to all line up again.
For me in old age.........that's an hour. And it hurts.
Accidently go past your marks like I did a few weeks ago.....another hour and more pain.

 

There's actually no need to mark the belts since you would be replacing them anyway. Just line up the timing marks and you are safe. Once the job is done rotate the engine by hand and recheck the timing marks and belt tension. Then you would be good for an engine start.
Regards Bell

 

On our engines, with the crank at TDC the cams on the forward most cylinders are in a position on the cam lobes where they want to 'snap rotate' by a few degrees into a relaxed position if they are not locked.

Fitting the belts with locked cams puts the belt through all kinds of hell because everything is locked and seating the belt is very difficult.
With a correct TDC starting point and everything maked, the belt tensioners can be released, the belts removed and if the cams move/rotate on their own that's no problem.
You just rotate them back a by few degrees when you slip the new belts on and get the marks to line up again.
So personally I don't lock the cams ever.
The important thing is that the marks must line up when the belts are tensioned and unlocked cams MUST NEVER be rotated FULLY in either direction even with the crank at TDC.
Unlocked cams should only be gently turned a FEW DEGREES or so, to line up the timing marks and allow the belt teeth to drop into the cam wheels.
During the whole belt change proceedure the engine is never rotated at all off TDC until after both belts are tensioned. The crank on the engine is then moved off TDC and fully rotated 'BY HAND' during the tension checking proceedure.

I cover it all in my video :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn-bpUziJag
Regards Bell

 

Those failures are obviously down to bad installation and most probably belts fitted to loose because I have never seen a belt fail if it's a bit too tight only when it's too loose and the cam skips teeth.
Fitting belts are easy to do right......and easy to do wrong.
I have tought many people to fit cam belts on their Lotus and Ferrari cars, when watching them I can by the end of the job either recommend they never attempt it again or tell them that they are completly fine with the job on their own. The problem people often make obvious or downright odd mistakes that you wouldn't think possible, which without being corrected would have ended in catastrophy. Methodical people are usually excellant at it, but impatient and messy workers are no good at all from my experience.
Next month Emily will be doing the cam belts on the 3.2 this will be the 2nd car she's ever done ....I will be their to film the whole thing and to record any mistakes she makes, she is however the 'Right Stuff' for this kind of job BUT she may make a mistake, who knows. It should be interesting.
Regards Bell

 

Bell, sounds really good. I will be interested in Emily's mistakes as I continue to build confidence to try the same on my "T".

 

Great advice, Bell Bloke. Not related to Derek by any chance, are you?
One question: from my readings of broken cam belts, I've noticed many seem to break because the bearings fail. Is that your experience? Thanks!

 

Hi David, yes tensioner bearings fail a lot and it sends the belt out of line and the belt either goes slack or gets chewed up. I listen to my tensioner bearings every year, see here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS8OEoNazlo

It might seem overly cautious but with no aircon it only takes me an hour to do the check.
Regards Bell.

 

Hi Rapalyea, yes your aircom will interfere with the belt cover, unfortunately you will have to remove the pump and swing it out of the way. This is slow going....
All the best Bell

 

I have also heard belt failure after a new install but I have never read anywhere what may have caused it or things to look for that would indicate it may happen. So if anyone can elaborate I will thank you in advance.
I replaced the belts on mine last month and rotated the engine several revolutions to insure the timing is correct and to let the belt "seat" before I tightened the tensioner.
I am still going through everything right now but I hope to have the engine ready to run in the next couple of weeks.