2.3L ('83-'97) Filthy under timing cover

[scotts90ranger]

I honestly don't remember if my '97 had one... the balancer is completely different starting in '95 with the new style crank sensor...

 

[youngmanwithapickuptruck]

how i clean harmonic damper sensor aka crank shaft sensor?

i read it is just a magnet. do i just wipe off the surface of it?

 

[youngmanwithapickuptruck]

another question:
intuition tells me i should clean off crank shaft spindle and harmonic balancer mating surfaces, and then grease them up a little before mating them and cranking down the bolt, should i grease up the two surfaces before re-installation? do i apply a little grease to the threads of the big bolt. none of the youtube videos mention this or show this... in fact half of them just skip reinstallation portion and just say "now put everything back together the way you took it apart"

 

[scotts90ranger]

just wipe stuff off and a smear of grease wouldn't hurt

 

[youngmanwithapickuptruck]

one more question, lol.
parts instruction manual says to take "timing belt tensioner adjustment bolt (9)" to ~30ft-lbs.
chilton manual says to the the same bolt to ~17ftlbs.
is this bolt supposed to be loose enough to move as the belt stretched over time? i currently have the "timing belt tensioner adjustment bolt (9)" set to ~30ft-lbs. should i re-tighten to ~17ft-lb?

also
is this "plumbers faceut and valve grease" fine for coating the water pump o-rings?

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've torqued very little that wasn't a cylinder head bolt or part of the internal rotating assembly...

For the tensioner, the proper way to set it up is to align the belt, leave both tensioner bolts loose, install the crank pulley and bolt then turn the crankshaft with the crank bolt two full rotations until the lines line up again then tighten the tensioner bolts after confirming the belt alignment on all 3 pulleys. The belt shouldn't stretch which is part of the 100k replacement idea...

Plumbers grease is silicone based which is fine but it doesn't wash off with anything like silicone spray or dielectric grease... I usually use wheel bearing grease but whatever...

 

[youngmanwithapickuptruck]

aditional question: at 300kmi, is it recommended i change my crank position sensor and any other stock sensors?
which sensors degrade and which dont?

off the top of my head i have already replaced
maf
pcv
iac
both o2
'dpfe' i believe another was called.

 

[youngmanwithapickuptruck]

i did timing belt and put my truck back together and my truck wont start
i had the battery out for 2 weeks, it was sitting half on a piece of 2x4 and half on the floor, it was laying at a tilt for 2 weeks, i did notice a bit of goo leaking from positive terminal. outside temps ranged from 55-85deg the whole time, mostly 60-80. battery stayed in the shade.
i tried to jumpstart the car and the starter wouldnt even click.
the battery is currently charging at autozone
i think i either disconnected a wire harness and forgot, or maybe i bent a wire harness out of place and a circuit is not completing.
i know my crank position sensor is in place.

question:
when i installed the timing belt, i was at TDC
but after cranking the harmonic balancer bolt down the truck is no longer at TDC. would this prevent the vehicle from starting up?
I also wiped down the head of my crank position sensor with carb cleaner and a paper towel. afaik, that shouldnt have damaged anything

any ideas on what to check next?

 

[scotts90ranger]

If the starter won't engage then the battery either went dead somehow or you missed a wire going to the battery...

 

[youngmanwithapickuptruck]

jumpstart didnt work but i gave the battery one last hopeful go by bringing it to autozone for a 2 hours charge. i put the battery in the truck, cranked the key and heard a LOUD BANG ... the tailgate dropped, engine sounds great!

 

[scotts90ranger]

My '97's tailgate likes to do the same thing every now and then, freaks me out every time...

Glad it's running!