Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[devonian40]

 so decided to do my Cambelt today What a nightmare, struggled to strip everything down just to get to the belt!
Finally now got to it. Got everything to TDC. Put right hand lock in place. However bank 1 and 2 were slightly advanced. Have tried to adjust back, using the centre tensioner, but now it has become even further advanced, and I am unable to get it back where it should be 
What have I done? How do I retard it back to where out should be??
It's 2000 Elite, x30e.

[HockeyDave55]

Hi,
I have done this once and do have it on my ever growing list of things to do...
Firstly, did you use a locking kit?
Second, I would go over it again, sometimes thing are so glaringly obvious, you miss them!
Third, have a look in the maintenance guides section, it is in there.

If it was me, I would read the guide, have a cuppa and go at it again making sure it's done to the word!!!
Good luck! 

[devonian40]

I used the cam lock kit! Using DVD from this site.
Left hand bank is or was slightly advanced so the lock would not fit. Trying to retard left bank, but ended up advancing it more.

Might well be something simple

[pete220]

Hi i done mine a few weeks ago and i had bank 1,2 advanced but from what i can remember i put the 30mm ring spanner on and undone the centre bolt very slightly then turned the 30mm nut clockwise then i think that takes the tension off bank 1,2 and you can pop the lock in. Or take the lock out of 3,4 making sure all is tight then rotate the engine clockwise until all the timimng marks are just coming up and try to put bank 1,2 lock in first then maybe you will need to advance  3,4 im not 100% on this but im sure sobody will be along that can help you more. 

[devonian40]

Thanks that seems to ring a bell somewhere

[allen25]

IME and as you say, Cam sprocket locking tools can be difficult to locate/insert, for one or a number of reasons. I marked up 1,2,3 & 4 (at TDC) relative positions on the sprockets before removing the old timing belt as a safety measure (my sprockets have several markings and I wanted to be sure to use the correct ones if cams slipped etc...it is easy to get confused in the heat of battle). Last change, my genuine Vx kit had no alignment markings on the belt so it took several attempts before I located properly for the tensioner. I also had to remove the 1&2 lock to time up properly to the gauge timing marks (might be to do with my locking kit?). Sounds odd but true and it is running sweetly. I used the OOF guide ad DVD too.

[devonian]

ok,  Thanks guys. Will wait for the sun to come up then go and have another go!

Not been good so far as managed to snap one of the pipe connectors at the back of the breather bridge box, then did the blow/suck test on the multiram non-return valve, and managed to get quite a good tune out of it whilst sucking!! 

At least i could get both parts from omegaspareparts on ebay 

[devonian]

Hello me again!!

So got to TDC, cam locks now in. Old belt off. Installing replacement belt, got set correct with bottom markings, and markings on left bank are lined up!

However the markings for the right bank (3 & 4 ) are way out, something like 6 teeth behind where they should be. Also the belt is so tight i cannot get the lower idler in place!!

Are there two different timing belt sizes? I ordered the belt (SKF) using engine number so assumed it should be correct

Going mad here as dont seem to be getting anywhere 

[allen25]

Are the direction arrows on the belt pointing in the correct direction? No markings on the last one I fitted!

[devonian]

managed to get the belt on, i was being an idiot!!

Arrows in right direction, and got markings lined up with 1 and 2, but marks are way off on 3 & 4!

Now to cap it all I have made some big mistake. Went and rotated crank to check timing, but now cam 1 is retarded cam 2 is advanced and similar with 3/4. I assume that i did not have the tension set on the belt correctly!! Now everything is out and i do not know what to do to rectify the situation. Can the cams themselves be rotated (without the belt on) to realign???

Seriously thinking of just scrapping the damn thing 

[allen25]

You can rotate the cams individually, you need to be sure that you have 1,2,3 & 4 in exactly the the right position when the belt is fitted. If your markings are obvious you should be ok. You can move the cams using a socket on the front nut of the camsprocket. You will find a lot of tension at the 'top' of the turn and as/if you go past top, it will 'spring' (alarmingly if you've not experienced it before) to its next natural position. If the belt is not positioned correctly it can slip when you rotate manually which may be what you've experienced. Very important step though because you are in a position to and need to get it right before reassembly. Keep going, you will get there.

[Elite Pete]

You can rotate the cams individually, you need to be sure that you have 1,2,3 & 4 in exactly the the right position when the belt is fitted. If your markings are obvious you should be ok. You can move the cams using a socket on the front nut of the camsprocket. You will find a lot of tension at the 'top' of the turn and as/if you go past top, it will 'spring' (alarmingly if you've not experienced it before) to its next natural position. If the belt is not positioned correctly it can slip when you rotate manually which may be what you've experienced. Very important step though because you are in a position to and need to get it right before reassembly. Keep going, you will get there.

They don't have nuts

[Elite Pete]

If the cam timing is out as much as you say don't even attempt to turn the engine over or you'll be replacing bent valves

[devonian40]

Stopped for tonight. Got cams in correct place and locked. Will try again with belt tomorrow.
Will wait and see if I have indeed bent anything 

[Andy H]

You can rotate the cams individually, you need to be sure that you have 1,2,3 & 4 in exactly the the right position when the belt is fitted. If your markings are obvious you should be ok. You can move the cams using a socket on the front nut of the camsprocket. You will find a lot of tension at the 'top' of the turn and as/if you go past top, it will 'spring' (alarmingly if you've not experienced it before) to its next natural position. If the belt is not positioned correctly it can slip when you rotate manually which may be what you've experienced. Very important step though because you are in a position to and need to get it right before reassembly. Keep going, you will get there.

They don't have nuts

But they do have bolts.

A spanner can be used to rotate the cam but you don't want to be applying enough force to loosen the bolt. I prefer to use a home made peg spanner (engage the pegs in the circular holes in the cam sprockets).

The method is
1. rotate crank to 60deg before TDC (this moves all the pistons down the bores away from the valves)
2. use a peg spanner to align the cams with the marks on the backplate & fit the locking tools
3. wind the crank back to TDC & fit the belt.
4. do a compression test to check that all the cylinder pressures are the same (a bent valve won't seal properly)