TB discovered to be almost one tooth off perfect.

[txtorquemade]

Its not all bad Mark. I'm dealing with a non-running e30 right now too. :(

Waz wrong with your car man?

[Bimmerista]

Waz wrong with your car man?

Some sort of fuel delivery problem. Installed a new VDO fuel pump and swapped relays. Still no go. :hitler:

[txtorquemade]

Bummer. Did you do the fuel delivery suite of tests in the Bentley?

[txtorquemade]

What are the chances I was shipped the wrong TB? I cannot get the POS on. And when it was on before there was a lot of "noise" and the car seemed to struggle to idle.

[woodisgood]

Do what I said in post 1, this is the exact same shit I went through a week or so ago.

[txtorquemade]

A...long...string...of .... curse...words. The bad ones!!

Do what I said in post 1, this is the exact same shit I went through a week or so ago.

Well.. I would IF I could get the TB back on. Tensioner is all the way off. Cam and Crank marks right on. Cant get the friggin belt back on ...period. I matched it up to the old one, looks the same.

I havent counted teeth yet, but Im about that desperate. Thinking I have got to have the wrong TB. or ....something.

[Rigmaster]

take your time and slide the belt on a little at a time. If you try to push it too far onto the cam gear in one place, it will be a bitch to get it on and you'll likely chew up the rubber.

It will fit, just takes some time and patience. Trust me, once you figure out how to work it on there, you'll be able to do it in no time.

The amount of slack taken up by the tensioner does not matter in terms of the alignment, the alignment marks should be lined up when the belt is pulled snug on the side that runs straight from the cam to the crank pulley.


I've had luck lining up the cam marks exactly, then line up the crank marks exactly and back it up just a hair (turn the crank pulley just a hair counter clockwise), this gives you a tiny bit of play to work with that should help slide the belt on the cam pulley. You don't need much movement, just a little. Then once you get the belt slid on you can take the slack out by turning the crank pulley clockwise and see if the marks are lined up- if not, take the belt off and start over.

[txtorquemade]

Well. I took the WP off. Yeah, the new one, with new gasket to try to get the TB on but realized after I did, the damn pin/spring seat onto the damn WP. Got the TB back on but now, not tensioned.

LOL... gawd dayum. I feel like a retard.

Before ya'll go bashing me too badly:

1. Im pissed already. You DO NOT want to see me go ballistic. So be cool. I'm not really an idiot, although I feel like one right now.
2. I have a Bentley. 3 DIYs. Several pieces of good advice on this thread, thank you very much guys.... still cannot get it done.
3. I am a fairly handy DIYer. Can usually figure shit out pretty well and usually no problem following directions exactingly. Which I have done.
4. I had a very experienced mate come 3 weeks ago to help, and he had the same problems Im having now. Result, the belt was back on yes, but 1-2 teeth off. I'm trying not to repeat this error and even forcing the TB, it just will not go back on.

Something just aint right here. I've followed all suggestions. I've wrestled with the TB according to the Bentley, the DIYs and tried suggestions here on this thread.

I now have a WP off, belt on, no way to tension the belt and guess I'm at a point of just starting over. Suppose with the WP off I'm starting at the reinstall phase. (I did think to order 2 extra WP gaskets, now I'm glad I did!).

Ok, before I just sell the friggin car for scrap, someone tell me this isn't unusual and I will figure it out! Or tell me some magic friggin trick or something before I lose my fukin mind here!!!!

Any suggestions appreciated.

[txtorquemade]

take your time and slide the belt on a little at a time. If you try to push it too far onto the cam gear in one place, it will be a bitch to get it on and you'll likely chew up the rubber.

It will fit, just takes some time and patience. Trust me, once you figure out how to work it on there, you'll be able to do it in no time.

The amount of slack taken up by the tensioner does not matter in terms of the alignment, the alignment marks should be lined up when the belt is pulled snug on the side that runs straight from the cam to the crank pulley.


I've had luck lining up the cam marks exactly, then line up the crank marks exactly and back it up just a hair (turn the crank pulley just a hair counter clockwise), this gives you a tiny bit of play to work with that should help slide the belt on the cam pulley. You don't need much movement, just a little. Then once you get the belt slid on you can take the slack out by turning the crank pulley clockwise and see if the marks are lined up- if not, take the belt off and start over.

You saying to do this with the belt OFF? I tried something like that with the belt party on, and it slipped the crank mark about 3 inches. I backed it up right away and have been trying not to move the timing marks at all.

I have only spun the crank with the belt on, prior to my taking it off again. I aligned the crank mark, then with the belt off moved the cam gear mark to perfect, (rotating it counter clockwise only about 2-3 mm) so as not to lose my place with the timing. Right now, both marks are perfectly on line and I have not, to my knowledge moved the crank, nor cam gears without the belt on, so I'm assuming Im at TDC as should be.

I'm trusting Im not 180 degrees out, so Im thinking IF I can get the belt back on Im ok?

Talk to me amigos. Im not proud. I want to get this done or...


:cockbloc:

[SCapelo]

I recently did my first m20 TB as well. I tried a couple different ways and finally ended up going this route.
- Line up Cam and Crank Gears to the marks
- Leave tensioner off
- Put on the TB on all gears MINUS the tensioner
- Put the pin on the tensioner and slide it into place with the bolt ready to get it in place
- Once I got the tensioner up and against the TB I left it loose then used a prybar to put the most possible tension on it to slide the tensioner spring onto the pin.
- Allow it to self adjust with the spring
- Tighten everything down
- Spin the crank 2 times over (1 complete revolution) and match up your marks for Cam and Crank Gears

Thats how I did it after trying 40 different things hahaha

Good luck!

[txtorquemade]

I might try that after I get the WP back on. Kinda tried it already but Im going to hit it in the AM. Well..later in the AM.

[ck_taft325is]

The latest advice is what I did. Hell I barely used the tensioner. I DO NOT recommend not using the tensioner. But, it's how I got everything in place.

[txtorquemade]

Well, the upside is, my engine bay is much cleaner.

I couldnt put the WP back on last night - no RVG to seat the WP gasket. So I just cleaned and thought and looked and took a Zen approach to getting this done.

The last bit of advice:

I recently did my first m20 TB as well. I tried a couple different ways and finally ended up going this route.
- Line up Cam and Crank Gears to the marks
- Leave tensioner off
- Put on the TB on all gears MINUS the tensioner
- Put the pin on the tensioner and slide it into place with the bolt ready to get it in place
- Once I got the tensioner up and against the TB I left it loose then used a prybar to put the most possible tension on it to slide the tensioner spring onto the pin.
- Allow it to self adjust with the spring
- Tighten everything down
- Spin the crank 2 times over (1 complete revolution) and match up your marks for Cam and Crank Gears

I am going to try that. I guess, however I think I sort of tried that already, but it could have been once the WP was off. So I am going to first reinstall the WP. Then take the approach above.

Seems two people at least have had to do it this way, and I need this job done today! Anyone have any reason not to try this, or any other suggestion(s)?

Thank you for the patience and assisitance...

Mark

[txtorquemade]

SUCCESS !!

I did what SCapelo suggested. Weird, but it worked.

I was concerned at the proper tension being placed on the belt, but as I was turning the crank to check the marks I noticed at certain points the belt would tighten/loosen I suppose according to compression in the cylinders. I left the spark plugs in.

I kept rotating the crank until I fel the belt loosen a bit with similar tension on all the gears, the cam to crank fairly tight but defectable a bit. This is where I tightened the tensioner bolts. It appeared to orient the upper tensioner bolt to the position it was at prior to it's removal. Have to do! Aint taking it down again. The timing marks when I torqued the tensioner bolts were almost spot on. The crank dead on with the cam exactly in the valley next to dead on, but not onto the next tooth.

Sound about right? Anyone?

So, I got the covers and rotor/cap back in place. Thinking I will break off until tomorrow and wait for any opinions or suggestions regarding how I managed to get the belt back on. Am I risking anything bad happening?

Thanks for your interest and comments!!

Mark

[whodwho]

For setting the tensioner you leave it loose as you rotate the crank 2 turns until you are on the marks again without rotating back and then tighten the tensioner, the spring sets the tension.