cambelt help!!

[hedric15]

i am slowly fixing my car up, i am now changing my cambelt. I am stuck as i can't seem to unlock the cam shaft pulley nut. I am one of those less fortunate to own a impact gun.. any advise on how to get the nut off? and also if anyone could point me at the right direction on where to get affordable but reliable timing belt kit.. thanks..

[peter thomson]

There is a how to here

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28501

I assume you mean the crank pulley. There is a method mentioned there which works fine

[Gowf]

Why are you taking the cam pulley off? You dont need to at all

[Gowf]

If it is the crank pulley your talking about, then yes you do need to remove it, but you dont need an impact gun to do so. All you need is your 22/24mm socket (cant remember offhand which is it) and a breaker bar and maybe a jack handle. Disconnect the cam and crank position sensor plugs (the 2 plugs above the timing belt covers) put the bar and socket on the bolt close with the bar relatively close to the ground (hence why you may need the extension of a jack handle if your already on axle stands) and flick the starter over. It should crack the bolt for you to then to remove. Fitting it again however, you really should use an impact gun, but you can make up a tool to fit into the holes on the pully to lock it up with.

Other than that, you can always take off the gearbox inspection plate and lock the flywheel/torque convertor with something then just use the bar as you would normally

[hedric15]

my bad i meant crank shaft pulley, i was reading on one of the articles that it has to come off to get to the middle cover.

[Gowf]

yep, cant get the lower cover off with out it.

[hedric15]

thanks guys, i'll have another go at it tomorrow.

[fuel]

Why are you taking the cam pulley off? You dont need to at all

I always remove cam gears to replace camshaft oil seals - I would be fairly gutted if I paid someone to do a cambelt job and they overlooked replacing the cam and crank seals only to find months down the line you have leaking seals and the cambelt has to come off all over again to rectify the situation!

If it were a cambelt replacement at 80-100,000kms then I may choose not to replace the seals but most of the time I supply cambelt kits they are changing them at 160-240,000kms. The seals total $20 and takes an extra half hour of your time to replace, why not do it at the same time your motor is half apart anyway?

[Gowf]

I always remove cam gears to replace camshaft oil seals - I would be fairly gutted if I paid someone to do a cambelt job and they overlooked replacing the cam and crank seals only to find months down the line you have leaking seals and the cambelt has to come off all over again to rectify the situation!

If it were a cambelt replacement at 80-100,000kms then I may choose not to replace the seals but most of the time I supply cambelt kits they are changing them at 160-240,000kms. The seals total $20 and takes an extra half hour of your time to replace, why not do it at the same time your motor is half apart anyway?

Not being funny but over the 14years Ive been working as a mechanic (whether it be in a garage or for myself), never once have i replaced a cam or crankshaft oil seal when just replacing a timing belt. Neither has the autodata timing belt book expressed to do so. So as effectively they have a degree of the same instruction neither has a OEM changed a seal for the same reason. Rebuilding an engine is one thing, standard servicing is another. They may only be cheap to replace but where do you stop........ do you do both crank seals? If not, why only do the one if they are the same age (other than the fact the other side requires the removal of the gearbox).

[fuel]

ahh yes but you don't remove the gearbox for a routine job such as a cambelt do you? If you were replacing the clutch, given that you would most likely have the flywheel removed to get it machined, would you not replace the rear main seal there and then? I would.

I understand in most cases they wont leak but how crap would it be if you did someone's cambelt or even your own cambelt and then 6-12 months later you have oil pissing out a seal you didn't replace because you skimped and didn't spend the extra $20 and 30 mins of time. It's the same reasoning as replacing the water pump, auto tensioner and idler/tensioner bearings while you do the belt in my eyes.

[Gowf]

I can see what your saying for engines that have problems with the seals.... but the 6a13's have been shown to go over 180000miles without the need for the seal replacement. How far do you want to go though, thats the question. The change in the tensioners and waterpump is required due to them having a definate usable life specified by the manufactures, the seals do not have such a specification.

All that i am saying whether it be right or wrong, is that someone who is new to the whole thing and wants to give it a go themselves may read this and assume that the seals need changing, which they dont. Preventory maintainence is all well and good but it can go too far.

[fuel]

As I said I understand the argument from both sides, all I'm saying is that if you go to the extent of replacing everything else for the sake of an extra few bucks and a little more time you may as well do the seals too. Yes perhaps not the best for a newbie to do the seals, but it's not exactly best for a newbie to do a cambelt job full stop as there's many things which can be mucked up, for instance setting the auto tensioner rod movement length properly.

I've seen the seals on a 6A12 and 6A13 leak well before 200,000kms, which is about 130,000miles.