02 Protege Timing belt

YenkoZL1

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2002 Mazda Protege DX
Getting ready to replace the timing belt on my protege. The book mentions once everything is installed to turn the crank 1 & 1/8th of a turn. Is a degree wheel necessary for this job at all or something similar? The book doesnt mention any special tools needed. Or has anyone just lined up the marks to TDC on the cam gears and left it at that?
 
I am so ready to pay the dealer $500 because I read so much about replacing the timing belt/water pump and I am scared. If someone on here is local AND they have done this before, I may consider paying YOU instead!!!
WHO IS IN?
 
line the marks up and put the belt on. then tighten the tensioner. then you spin the crank TWO full revolutions, and if you did it right all the marks will line up again.

replacing the timing belt is not a hard job at all, just tedious. ive done it with the engine out of the car, which is a billion times easier, and with it in the car. to line up the cam marks it's easier to look from the backside of the gears, if you have your valve cover removed. then you can use the head to help you line the marks up instead of having to look over the fender.
 
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I would do it for you, Me and my buddy do side jobs like that but I live in WA. I changed the timing belt/ water pump on a 2000 SOHC accord today...... That was alot harder then my Protege.

Rob
 
It is not hard, just devote a day for it your first time.........after that it takes like 4 hours :)
 
Well Saturday's the big day. Gonna tackle the timing belt. Appreciate the confidance boost. I will let ya'll know how it went.
 
Well Saturday I installed my new timing belt on my protege. Started at about 9am and finished up at 9pm. Space is definately tight to work in. If I didnt need to go parts searching the job would have taken about 8hrs. I replaced the timing belt, idler pulley, tensioner pulley & spring, upper and lower radiator hose, water pump & thermostat. Just a couple of pointers, make sure you have a tensioner spring just in case the one on your car is out of spec(36.6mm length w/ no tension). Mine was good until I messed up installing the new belt. You're suppose to install the belt before connecting the tensioner spring. I lost track and ended up damaging the original spring. Rotate the tensioner pulley clock wise to install and remove the tensioner spring. Secondly, the O-ring for the thermostat has a little nipple on the outer edge that you line up the jiggle nut. The gasket can only be bought thru the dealer. All other parts stores including BAP Imports do not carry this particular gasket. At least this is the case in Phoenix, Az. They only sell the O-ring gasket without the outer nipple needed. Without it, the thermostat housing will leak, mine did. So, I was lucky enough that the original O-ring I removed wasnt too far worn, so I was able to reuse it, versus ordering a new one from the dealer. All in all the job wasnt that bad. Once you get the timing marks lined up its a breeze. The cam gears do like to move on you a little so be patient lining everything up. Definately set aside a day for the job. I highly recommend replacing the water pump and the idler pulley & tensioner pulley since you're in there. No sense in going thru this twice to replace warn parts later. This is a one man job, but a second set of hands can be helpful in some aspects of the job.
 
Just did mine today. It wasn't that hard just make sure you know what you're doing. Or get a guide .. And make sure you have all the tools nothing special just not a lot of space so the more tools the better and definitely will take the whole day.. If you have never changed a timing belt just do it with someone who has done it before
 
A guide is definately needed for the job. Well not 100% needed but very, very handy. There is no Chilton's or Haynes manuals for 3rd Gen Protege's. And shop Manuals are any where from $100 used to $300 new. I actually took a chance on ebay and bought the shop manual on a CD. You need Adobe Reader to use it. It was $20 after shipping and by far the best investment ever. 1486 pages of info on your protege. It even covers both engine types the "ZM" series and the "FS" series Protege motors. Whether you have the manual in the book form or CD form make sure you are aware of what engine info you're looking at b/c the torques specs, electrical info, and diagnosis info varies between the two.
 
i payed a friend to do mine. took a couple hours

A couple of hours, really. You sure he replaced the timing belt?

I'm going to drain the coolant Friday night. I'll probably go ahead and get the air ducts off since I have a new sri, and spray a little bolt loosener on the ones that have to come off, and a lot on the balancer bolt. Then take the wheel off and the splash guard. Saturday depends on how much trouble disassembly is. I have to work slowly to do anything right so I'll consider myself lucky if I don't have any loose ends to finish on Sunday.
 
Hey, YenkoZL1, do you have a Yenko ZL1? With the Aluminum 427. That thing weighed the same as a stock 327 small block and was advertised at 430 hp, but they say it actually had closer to 500.
 
Rusty, No I dont have the Yenko SC car nor the COPO ZL1. They're my dream cars. I prefer the COPO but wouldn't turn away a Yenko. If I ever win the lottory that's where I would spend the $$$ 1st! :)
 
I read in my thread I started yesterday that Haynes is coming out with our book in March 2011. I'll be getting one. I plan to replace my timing belt when the weather warms up a little more and I think I'll get a kit like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned) . That should make parts hunting easier.

This is a good guide member yangsui pointed me to http://dl.dropbox.com/u/582405/Timing_Belt_Water_Pump_Walkthrough.pdf

I'm going to buy this amazon kit and wanted to know if you or somebody has purchased it and if the parts look of good quality?
 
Stick with Dayco. they made really good s***, and if you get the component kit with the timing belt (which you should do when you replace the belt) it comes with complete and very good instructions.
 
does Dayco make a full kit? where do I get it? Rockauto.com or somewhere else? I went to rockauto and I didn't see it, all I saw was separate Dayco parts.

PS: I searched and apparently even though Dayco says in their website that they have a timing and water pump kit, they don't. I followed their parts and store locator, and call the supplier closest to me, and all they have is the timing belt by Dayco, I would have to buy everything else separate, and the tensioner/idler/spring kit is Duralast, and I would have to buy the water pump separate, and that just sucks since I would also need to add all of the gaskets and seals, for the crankshaft and valve cover, and while I'm there minus well change the A/C and alternator belts.

I found a full Dayco WP and Timing belt, it didn't even said for the protege for $449.00 dollars, crazy!

Not sure what to do !
 
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I'm going to buy this amazon kit and wanted to know if you or somebody has purchased it and if the parts look of good quality?

Every part was OEM quality. The Contitech belt is the one BMW and some other manufacturers use. The water pump was new by Nissan Pump Works. I don't remember the tensioner and idler brands, but at the time, I looked it up and they were also used by manufacturers. The cam cover gasket was a really good fitting gasket and so were the crank and cam seals. All in all, I don't think I could have been more confident with the parts. And the price was right too.
She's running great too.

If you have questions while you work, feel free to ask, because it's still fresh in my mind. If I had to do it again I could cut the time in half easy.
 
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with dayco you buy the timing belt, and the component kit, which is a new idler pulley, new tensioner pulley, new tensioner spring, and instructions. all together its around $110-120. you can get a remanufactured water pump + gasket from Mazda for like $30+shipping I think it was. water pumps are cheap as s***. for the accessory belts, go with dayco as well. advance auto parts can get you everything. including the pump if you go aftermarket.
 

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