Cam/timing belt installation...

[Installshield 2]

I am getting ready to do this this weekend, and was wondering if you guys new any tricks...I have plenty of time and have done plenty of work like this, but I don't have a lot of tricky tools yet other than the norm...So...Also Twilight I read your excellent how-to on this and printed it out...

Do you really need a 2 bolt puller to remove the crank pulley? I don't have one yet, but can easily get one...the Mazda Shop Manual always uses "SST" for something goofy...It says use the "SST" to remove the pulley, and support the engine with the "SST" once the #3 engine mount is removed...?...It shows diagrams sometimes of what the SST is, and it is just a H bar for supporting the engine from above, using the eyelits...That will not remove the pulley obviously...but there is no diagram for the SST to remove the pulley...

and I am assuming most of you re-used the stock valve cover gasket? I have a lot of RTV sealent in different varietys and according to some manuals that is all you need...

Any other little s*** to look out for would be much appreciated...

 

[twilightprotege]

thanks man, i dont get told i do excellent things very often

with the crank pulley, just hire an impact wrench...makes like very easy.

the sst's - special service tools. not required.

and yep, just re-use the head cover gasket. just use the rtv crap to seal the gasket properly.

no other tricks of the trade, a friend to help is always handy

if there's anything else just pm or email me.

andrew

 

[Installshield 2]

Thanks man, I figured the SST was an abreviation for mazda's "non available" parts, that actually are readily available...
Anyway check your pm's...

 

[twilightprotege]

yeah they've got sst's here, sst's there...hell i'd be shocked if the actually use real tools!!!!

 

[freekwonder]

hell we didnt even use an impact on mine. just rest the rachet on the a-arm and hit the ignition realy "QUICK" and it busted loose, and didnt bust anything else.

 

[twilightprotege]

yeah i dont like the idea of that.....

 

[twilightprotege]

maybe i should say a reason - your starter motor is not designed to be an impact wrench. you could have quite easily burnt it out or damaged the cogs in it

 

[freekwonder]

ya i didnt enjoy doing it. but we didnt have access to an impact. but luckily that was 5 months ago and i havnt had any problems yet. its more of a last resort. my buddy did it to his focus over a year ago and hasnt any problems.

but trust me i do agree with you, its not the wisest idea, but a last resort.

 

[Installshield 2]

I will be doing the work in about an hour...Just installing a timing belt and J-spec intake/MSP exhuast cam that I have had lying around for quite a while...Finally getting around to doing it...the install will be on an otherwise bone stock FS engine...No engine mods have been made, just suspension stuff so far...So I will comment on whether there is a noticable difference with JUST the cams...

 

[1FASTMP5]

are you changing the belt also or just the cam?????

 

[twilightprotege]

no need to change the belt unless your engine has done 100000miles +

let us know how you go install

 

[Installshield 2]

ok....everything is done....

I won't comment on power differences or anything yet, becuase I am still going easy on the car and making sure everything is in order...

I did change the timing belt, Kind of overkill but my girlfriend's dad's best friend is the lead manager of Ryder Mazda in State College...So I got the belt for about 10 bucks...Just did it since I was in that area of the engine...I also installed the MSP #3 engine mount...The AWR #1 and #2 mounts will be here next week...

It was a b**** in my case...I had no air tools...I could only jack the car a few feet off the ground and used a creeper to get under there...Space was very tight, especially dealing with the lower alternator through bolt, and water pump pulley/belts/timing cover and everything else right next to the frame (I have recently conclueded that the Japanese must have very small hands)...I did manage to get the crank bolt off with just a dead blow hammer and a craftsman 90* elbow (like a small breaker except no joint)...I just wound up and bashed it as hard as possible from the side, and after 3 trys it spun right off and my harm collided violently with the control arm...I am still bleeding...I also managed to strip the hell out of the steering pump's adjuster nut...so I had to disconnect the entire unit and hang it away from the engine...that was fine until I had to reinstall it and the belt...

anyway...I reused all the old seals and gaskets...Is that ok? I completely forgot about the cam thrust seals, is using the old ones ok? I have driven the car around and absolutely no signs of leaks so far, and no bad noises...But that still worries me...I will probably just order a set and replace them soon...

The intake cam was noticably larger in duration than the stock one, but still not "big" by aftermarket standards...the exhuast cam was not even as noticable...

 

[twilightprotege]

glad it all worked well for you, pitty bout the blood, but when you work with cars you get used to it hehehehe

using the old seals and gaskets is fine. they should be fine. how many miles (was going to write k's, but you a yank) does your car have?

definately dont give the car a good flogging for a few hundred miles...you need to let everything settle back down

i'm getting my head back tomorrow (monday) YAAAAAAAAAAAAYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Installshield 2]

I can't wait to see your numbers Andy..

yeah everything is great "so far"...My P5 has about 47,000 miles on it (not sure of the conversion, around 90,000 k?)...so maybe I will wait a while on the seals...They fit back in perfectly and I made sure they were seated properly during installation...and usually with reusing seals, if they are going to leak they rarely wait to let it happen...No leaks yet...

The timing belt cover made some noise though...nothing major and it only did it for about 5 minutes after the initial start up...It appears that it was rubbing on the water pump pulley very slightly and the pulley just wore a little notch in it, and now it is no longer touching...I don't have any of the splash gaurds up yet, so I can keep checking on all of that...

 

[twilightprotege]

47000 miles will be fine for the cam seals and head cover gasket.

if there's any other issues or whatever, just let me know

 

[TheMAN]

*sigh*

bumping the starter is the ghettoest thing you can do
it's impact wrench to get it out
or put the tranny in 5th gear and have someone hold the brakes while you bust the crank pulley bolt loose with a breaker bar!

 

[Installshield 2]

*sigh*

bumping the starter is the ghettoest thing you can do
it's impact wrench to get it out
or put the tranny in 5th gear and have someone hold the brakes while you bust the crank pulley bolt loose with a breaker bar!

Sadly, I know of a lot of local shops that do that, becuase either A) they are to lazy to try to fit an impact wrench in between the frame or anything in the way... or B) they tried for 1 minute with the impact wrench and accomplished nothing...Don't get your car worked on in central PA by small garages...for a guy at home that has run out of options, it probably will be fine if done once, but for a shop to do it is pathetic...

yeah I forgot to mention, I had a friend stand on the brake in 5th gear while I smacked the elbow with the hammer...Seemed to work great...Trying to git a breaker in there to torque it back is a different story...

 

[twilightprotege]

i took my crank pulley off again today - getting ready for the head install on monday night...didnt use the impact wrench this time, just got my gf to plant her foot on the brakes, put the car in 4th and it worked. needed a fair amount of effort but i got there. i was quite happy i didnt need to go and hire the impact wrench again.

so you've taken the car out for a drive yet? how's your idle feel? are you going to double check the timing in a week or so?

 

[Installshield 2]

Yeah I drove it around quite a bit...Not hard at all yet though...

Idle was fine, no "lumpy" feeling or anything...still felt completely stock...

I will recheck the timing in a few days...with both cams aligned perfectly at TDC, I bumped the intake cam one tooth forward...then as I slipped the belt over the exhuast cam sprocket it moved one tooth from TDC and fit up perfectly with the other...It appeared like they were wrong, but after you readjust the crank sprocket to TDC they line up perfectly again...That was my biggest problem...I didn't have anything to brace the crank sprocket from moving when I pulled the belt over the cam sprockets...So every time I applied pressure on the belt, it would move the crank sprocket...and then usually be one tooth off on the cam sprockets...I did finally get it though after about 10 tries...and also after I figured out how to adjust the tensioner...It it takes some practice, but after you figure out what moves you can eye ball where you need it before you slip the belt on it should line up perfectly...

Everything is great so far...and I am actually not looking for any significant gains, just as a first step for the build up...engine mounts are going in next week, and the MSP #3 mount is already in...I noticed no difference with that at all in vibration, and I have not launched the car violently yet to see if it affected wheel hop in the slightest...but by mid next week I should start to drive it a little harder and comment...

 

[twilightprotege]

cool. yeah timing was a total pain in the butt when i had to put my original cams back in. the tensioner was a bit of a pain

i've been able to install the rear awr engine mount while i've had the head out as well. looking forward to seeing how it goes.

i'm certain i'll have quite an interesting idle when i put the head and everything back in....and i think that's saying it nicely too!