timing belt on a 93 1.8L ???

[NJfishinGuy]

ok my car is the 1.8L its got about 150k miles and it needs a timing belt done. how difficult is the job to do it in the driveway? i dont really got the cash to pay 400 for the mech to do it wish i did cause i dont feel like dealing with it but what am i gonna do. any info and tips would be great

[Turpro]

Haynes manual-15
Timing belt-25
Water pump-40?

Do yourself a favor and do the water pump while you're in there. Haynes manual works for this job.

Crank bolt-get a friend to put the car in 5th and hold the brake pedal down and use a long breaker bar.

Should take an average person with mechanical abilities about 2-3 hrs. (Takes me about an hr and a half but I've done it so many times now that its not funny anymore lol)

And make sure you line all the marks up BEFORE you take the belt off.

[NJfishinGuy]

thanks for the tips. does the engine have to lifted up at all to do the job? someone told me you have to unbolt like 2 motor mounts and bring the engine up a bit.

[Turpro]

No. Just grab that haynes manual and go to town

[NJfishinGuy]

thanks! i think i actually have the haynes i gotto look in my messy back seat.

[johniec]

In trying to change the timing belt out in mine, I cannot get the bolts off that hold on the pulley at the water pump. I am changing out the pump anyway and was thinking about A> if you can get the pump off with the pulley on or B> break the water pump up. Does anyone have any better ideas?

[Turpro]

In trying to change the timing belt out in mine, I cannot get the bolts off that hold on the pulley at the water pump. I am changing out the pump anyway and was thinking about A> if you can get the pump off with the pulley on or B> break the water pump up. Does anyone have any better ideas?

Leave the belt on and use a rachet wrench. Just crack them loose then take the belt off

[johniec]

Leave the belt on and use a rachet wrench. Just crack them loose then take the belt off

Yea, tried that no go. There is not enough room to get a rachet in there anyway, and using a open end wrench I am going to mess up the bolts (have already done that to one). Even tried vice grips... Do I need to loosen the upper engine mount and tilt the engine up? Oh - this is a DX with the SHOC.

[91SuperProtLX]

Use 2 standard wrenches if you dont have gearwrenches, and losen them all, now when you do the last 1 will tighten up again and then just hold the pulley with ur hand and losen the 1 that just tightened up. Thats how I got mine off. I use an impact on the crank pulley and no one needs to put it in gear or stand on the brakes. Gettin waterpump out is a pain, its mad wide on the DOHC ones, had to lower/raise mine to snake it out, but got it back in, in like 2 min. Use Permatex HighTack to glue the gasket onto ur waterpump. When your done with everything and checked ur marks, put the crank bolt in and turn ur motor over a few times to make sure nothing it hitting anything and make sure ur marks are all lined back up when ur done. PS use white out to make ur marks stand out.

[johniec]

Use 2 standard wrenches if you dont have gearwrenches, and losen them all, now when you do the last 1 will tighten up again and then just hold the pulley with ur hand and losen the 1 that just tightened up. Thats how I got mine off. I use an impact on the crank pulley and no one needs to put it in gear or stand on the brakes. Gettin waterpump out is a pain, its mad wide on the DOHC ones, had to lower/raise mine to snake it out, but got it back in, in like 2 min. Use Permatex HighTack to glue the gasket onto ur waterpump. When your done with everything and checked ur marks, put the crank bolt in and turn ur motor over a few times to make sure nothing it hitting anything and make sure ur marks are all lined back up when ur done. PS use white out to make ur marks stand out.

Thanks -
The latest is I haven't fooled with the water pump again, but will in the next few days. Last night I tried to get the crank bolt out using an impact wrench with the car in 5th gear and someone standing on the brakes and also tried a breaker bar no go with either. I am close to giving up on it and pay someone to 'git er done'..

[91SuperProtLX]

Wow, mine came right out with my crappy harborfreight impact, my good ingersalrand one is at my job. You sure your going the right way with it? Soak some PB on it, you might have to get a bigger impact, if it hasnt been done ever it might be a bit crusted.

[MD323]

Thanks -
The latest is I haven't fooled with the water pump again, but will in the next few days. Last night I tried to get the crank bolt out using an impact wrench with the car in 5th gear and someone standing on the brakes and also tried a breaker bar no go with either. I am close to giving up on it and pay someone to 'git er done'..

put the car in neutral and put a ratchet on the crank bolt

disconnect the coil wire

put the ratchet put as far as it will go counterclockwise against the motor

move your fingers out of the way and have some one crank the car over

profit

[johniec]

Wow, mine came right out with my crappy harborfreight impact, my good ingersalrand one is at my job. You sure your going the right way with it? Soak some PB on it, you might have to get a bigger impact, if it hasnt been done ever it might be a bit crusted.

Oh yea, I am going the right (left) way - I even questioned myself on this.

MD323 - Yes, someone else that I work with said the same thing, just alittle concerned that I might break something inside the motor! but then again, I guess it can't be as bad as trying to start your car in gear with your foot off of the clutch.
I am getting pleanty of leverage on it.

[deathtrigga]

where in nj you from?! lol there is barely anyone here from nj..

[91SuperProtLX]

Belle Mead, im like 10 min from Princeton. Yea i know. Most forums im on there isnt much people from NJ. If you cant get it off, take it to a shop and just have the get the crank bolt lose, unless you got most of it apart. If you know anyone at a shop see if they got a bigger impact then 1/2. My boss got a 3/4 or 1 gun, its friggen huge and sounds like a machine gun. That has gotten alot lose.