2.3 lima timing belt slipped off

[Farmerrye]

Noticed some sqealing coming form the engine when i was driving then last night then few min later it went away. when i got home i felt it running and i check the serp belt because that had been loose before. When i went out there this morning it wouldnt fire and i popped the hood and the timing belt was completely off.

it was obviously on correctly when i parked it last night, maybe moisture or a gnome was messing with me, anyways.

i loosened my tensioner bolt and it didnt move the tensioner, so i dont have enough slack to get it back on. Am i going to have to remove radiator and fan and pulley to get it back into timing? Haynes manual is worthless since i dont have the timing cover and the marks on the pulley are all gone. any suggestions before i take it to ford and bend over??

I have always noticed the timing belt wandering a little bit (1/8-1/4'')on the sprocket. also would it be a good idea to have buy a timing cover for it??

 

[RonD]

Timing cover doesn't hold the belt in place, it is to protect it from foreign objects getting in, so yes you should have one.

The crank gear has a guide that holds the belt in line, if oil pump and cam gears are aligned.

Timing marks are the crank gear woodruff key, and the marks on cam and oil pump gear

tensioner shouldn't move when loosened it has a very strong spring to "put tension" on the belt, you need a tensioner tool, or pry bar to hold tensioner back while installing the belt

 

[tomw]

The cam and crankshaft sprockets have 'guides' to keep the belt in place. If it comes off, something is likely loose and wobbly, causing the belt to 'walk'. Parallel sprocket surfaces would not cause walking, so something is off.
The tensioner has two bolts. One for pivot, and the other as a stay. Loosen the pivot(spring wrapped) 1/4-1/2 turn. Loosen the stay or 'keeper' enough so you can pry on the tensioner to move the idler away from the back (outer) side or the timing belt, and while pried, tighten the keeper bolt. You will then have slack, and a tensioned spring that WILL SNAP back and give you a bite if you let it loose accidentally.
To time, put the crankshaft at TDC. The 'key' will be at 12:00 position. The cam has a triangle on the edge of the sprocket and there's a timing mark or post on the front side of the engine to align, right near 4:00 o'clock. The oil pump/distributor/cam sensor pulley should be aligned also depending on equipment. I have a dist, so can't talk to the others, but the info is here on the site.
tom

 

[Farmerrye]

thanks for the help guys.. ill start breaking it down today...i only found one bolt on my tensioner its a 10mm below and to the left of the tensioner wheel. where is the other one, maybe it slipped out??
Also i cant see the guides on my engine, i was lookign through the forums and saw a pciture of one but cant find it on mine, maybe i will once i take everything off.

mines an 1988 w/205k so i have a diff. i havent found a good thread explaining how to get it on #1. ill keep looking

 

[Farmerrye]

i have it all broken down except the pulley, am waiting for a puller so i dont break something. i will put the key way at 12 o clock, the cam is at the 4 o clockish position lined up with the marks on the block.

i movd the dist. so that the contact is directly under the #1 wire.. anything else to allign, if the crank is 12 o clock how do i know that it is on the correct strok??. i pulled the plug on #1 to see if i could feel the compression stroke but it feels the same every 360 degrees.

also where are the guides suppose to be???? i dont see any sort of guide and I would like to have one there so that i dont have to do this again... do they still make them? or am i going to the wrecking yard?

i called ford they wantd 370 just in labor, it took me about an hour to get here. so id say im out ahead right now but i wont hold my breath till its done.

 

[Farmerrye]

Here are some pictures of what I'm looking at

 

[Farmerrye]

Another

 

[Farmerrye]

Last on of Dist. The contact is directly below the number one wire correct?

 

[tomw]

You're pretty much on. There is a notch in the pulley on the crankshaft that should align with the timing marks on the cam belt cover, but won't if you don't have one... duh.
You might be able to remove the pulley bolt to see the keyway machined into the crankshaft nose, then rotate to put it at 12:00.
To know when #1 is at TDC, firing, look at the distribulator pointer... it should be in the #1 ballpark area. To know, follow the plug wire over the top of the cam cover down to the plug. It will be at #4 or at #1... if at #4, rotate the crankshaft 360 degrees and it should be pointing at #1.
Remember, the tensioner PIVOT has a hex head... and it is a bolt ... and it will be tight until loosened. Loosen it and then pry on the 'top' side of the pulley to push it away from the back(outer) side of the timing belt, then tighten the adjustment bolt while the tensioner is retracted. You can use a 'tire iron' without causing damage to anything if you are careful, and it will give you leverage enough to retract the tensioner.
A belt cover makes re-setting the timing easier. There is a jumper hanging out of the wire loom from the drivers side inner fender leading to the engine. It is called the SPOUT jumper, and must be removed to set base timing to 10BTDC. Done with the engine warmed up at normal idle. Once @ 10, kill the engine, tighten the distributor hold-down bolt, and start the engine to re-check it is still timed properly. Kill it again, then replace the jumper.
The engine will likely start if the distributor rotor is in the general ballpark of #1 when you set things up. If you have not loosened the distributor, the ignition timing should be pretty much on as it was before, the only difference being the 'stretch' of the belt(which is not supposed to stretch...)
tom

 

[Farmerrye]

What about the Aux pulley? put that one to 12o clock i assume. I just got my new timing cover today i hope it fits i need to find bots that fit for it. i saw online theyre were selling a timing cover gasket, i didnt buy it.

my real question is about the guides, where are they suppose to be? I couldnt find replacement ones online anywhere.... i dont want to have to do this job again....

thanks in advance

 

[RonD]

The Guide is just like a large washer that goes on the crankshaft AFTER the belt is installed.

Have a look here: http://www.justanswer.com/ford/2r7b2-diagram-2-3l-1994-ranger-timing-belt-not-sure.html#re.v/458/

2nd diagram down where it shows timing cover, toward the bottom the "belt guide" is IDed.
It slides onto the crank and then crank pulley holds it against crank gear.

Maybe last time belt was changed someone forgot to put it back, so you will need to get another one.

 

[tomw]

There is no timing to the aux sprocket if you have a distributor.

However, you do have to adjust the ignition timing by moving the distributor body. Initially you want the interruptor on the distributor shaft to have just (10degrees) passed the tooth between the parts of the reluctor(?) when the crankshaft is at TDC.
That static timing will get close to what final should be, and will allow easy starting after you put it all back together.
You can turn the aux sprocket while watching the rotor move, and set the #1 tooth of four just past the pickup point in the sensor in the bowl of the distributor.
You could turn the ignition ON, and use a timing light to set the timing, connected to the #1 plug wire, and rotate the sprocket to get the coil to fire. You do not want fuel available, or the engine might fire, though not likely. I'd pull the plug wire from #1, and use a spare spark plug if I were doing it.
tom

 

[Farmerrye]

The Guide is just like a large washer that goes on the crankshaft AFTER the belt is installed.

Have a look here: http://www.justanswer.com/ford/2r7b2-diagram-2-3l-1994-ranger-timing-belt-not-sure.html#re.v/458/

2nd diagram down where it shows timing cover, toward the bottom the "belt guide" is IDed.
It slides onto the crank and then crank pulley holds it against crank gear.

Maybe last time belt was changed someone forgot to put it back, so you will need to get another one.

i reinstalled everythign and go to fire it up and had a dead baterry so i warrentied that and went to turn it over and would crank but not fire so i think my distrb. is off 180. I crank it again and the belt pops off again!!! Now time to break everythign down again and verify the existence of this belt guide(washer) on the crank. What size washer is it? I didnt notice anything when i had the crank pulley off. it was pulley bolt, washer, then pulley. also i realized that the cover i bought is the back cover and not the front cover for the bolt. do they still make them?
thanks for the help guys,
ryan

 

[Farmerrye]

i see some outer covers on ebay. will it fit my truck if the cover is for a 95-01 engine same size? http://www.ebay.com/itm/95-01-Ford-Ranger-Mazda-B2300-2-3-4cyl-Front-Plastic-Timing-cover-96-97-98-99-00/172046233321?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=20131017132637&meid=3663c1e6c4584a72a2e8ee687977d9d8&pid=100033&rk=2&rkt=4&sd=121793589108


thanks

 

[RonD]

Did you look at the diagram in the link?

Belt guide(looks like washer) is easily seen and its position.


No, you will need a cover that fits an '88