Blown Timing Belt

[Jolly Roger]

I blew a timing belt on the way home from work yesterday. 93 2.3 5sp. 2wd. Got it back on the road last night. My biggest concern did i bend a valve? Do 2.3s have good clearece. It runs better now than it has ran in months.

I couldent get the harmonic balencer bolt to budge. So i worked around it and couldnt see the aliment mark. Would i notice it if i was a tooth off for timing?

Is it ok if the tentioner is all the way out and still got the belt on? I didnt have the tool or a way to move it any way.

Im still confused with the extra spark plugs and how thay fire. If one plug per cyl. fires on the exhaust stroke and i had my marks wroung. Would it still run off of that and would i notice a difference?

Sorry for the dumb questions. Thanks for your time.

 

[6.9l ford]

I blew a timing belt on the way home from work yesterday. 93 2.3 5sp. 2wd. Got it back on the road last night. My biggest concern did i bend a valve? Do 2.3s have good clearece. It runs better now than it has ran in months.

I couldent get the harmonic balencer bolt to budge. So i worked around it and couldnt see the aliment mark. Would i notice it if i was a tooth off for timing?

Is it ok if the tentioner is all the way out and still got the belt on? I didnt have the tool or a way to move it any way.

Im still confused with the extra spark plugs and how thay fire. If one plug per cyl. fires on the exhaust stroke and i had my marks wroung. Would it still run off of that and would i notice a difference?

Sorry for the dumb questions. Thanks for your time.

The 2.3l has the clearance for timing belt breakage, unlike most engines now adays.
I would change the tensioner when you can.

 

[v8318cid]

The dual-plug 4 cyl can be very tempermental if the plugs aren't wired correctly, or if the timing is off. You'll notice more problems from miswiring than from incorrect timing from my experience though. Assuming your timing is only one or two teeth out, you'll probably see a loss of power and probably some knocking or pinging on acceleration. If you miswire the coil packs, however, be prepared for anything. Backfiring, sometimes running right then acting really stupid, very low power, etc...
After futzing with my ignition for about a year and a half, here's what I can tell you :
1. Both coil packs fire coils about the same time on each side of the motor (unconfirmed).
2. Each coil fires two cylinders. The cylinder on the ignition/combustion stroke uses the most spark; the cylinder on the exhaust stroke will use what's known as "waste spark" or the residual energy left when the spark occurs.
3. If your firing order is 1-3-2-4, then your coil packs will be wired so that cyls 1 and 4 and 2 and 3 are paired together. Check the tech library for a diagram of how the wires are supposed to be set up.
4. If you have a bad coil pack, watch for the CEL relating to PIP failure (primary ignition pickup). I fought this one for too long not realizing the secondary coil was bad...
5. You can run on one coil pack (primary only; running only secondary won't allow the engine to start), but don't expect to get very far...
Hope that helps. Feel free to correct this as needed if I've missed anything.

 

[Jolly Roger]

Is there a adjustment tool for the tentioner? If not hows the best way to hold it when your putting the belt on?

The timings seems good. I had to replace the front coil in the spring. 1 cyl. drivers side wouldnt fire. At the time i had low power. Now most of most of its back. After i fixed the belt break. I still have Intermition hesitation when acelerating fast or under load at mid and high rpm.

 

[Jolly Roger]

I filled up today with a bottle of seafome. Will clogging injectors cause surges in accelarations under load?

 

[Earl43P]

May have gotten the belt installed off by a tooth or so.

I have some good info I can send you on how that engine works.
PM me your e-mail address and I'll fill your Inbox, so make room (>10 Meg).

 

[Jolly Roger]

Check that on the belt tensioner. It was backed off all the way when i put the belt on. I checked today and descover that the belt was way loose. The spring must be wore out. That is hard to belive as hard as i fought it to get it back on. Bolts loose coudent move the tensioner. So i snuged them down and tapped it with a screwdriver and a hammer untill i had just short of a 1/4 turn of the right side of the belt. (Bestplace i could get my fingers.) Hanes manual calls for special tool and torque. Local advance auto Says no tool. WTF over?

Am i still a tooth off did i cause more problems that good? I guess ill find out tomarrow. Does any one have a easy button or your an idiot this is what you should do.

Or its been runnig good do i leave it loose?

 

[Jolly Roger]

Sorry guys. I dont trust belts, ecm's, or an engine with out an distributor. I might be old fashoned but i almost smocked my first fresh motor. Due to a timing mark on a balencer that was shifted 45 deg. off. And blue a timing chain on a different engine and hammered a clouple of valves shut.

 

[scotts90ranger]

to set the tension of the belt, you're just supposed to use the tension of the spring then lock it solid with the bolts (both the lock bolt and the bolt in the center of the spring need to be loosened a little to get the tensioner to move), not add extra tension on top of the spring, too much tension can cause the tensioner to fail.

like has been said before, it's a non interference engine so worst case is you blow another belt or crank sensor. a '93 shouldn't have a cam sensor so as long as the cam and crank pulleys are aligned it should be correct and it sounds like it runs good.

 

[v8318cid]

I believe there may still be alignment marks for the third pulley (I believe it used to power the mechanical distributor), but I don't think alignment is required. Can anyone confirm that? Also, does it now power the oil pump?

 

[Jolly Roger]

It ran good today. I lost some top end and gained some low end. I went back and read the book. Like i should have done in the first place. 1993 and 94 federal models not nesesary to aline timing mark on auxilary shaft. On california models and 95 on up you need to. I did it any way. Im not sure what i have. I never did get the balencer off to see the crank pully mark.

Haynes reads if the spring does not have enough tention. Use a pry bar between spring and role pin. Is this ok? This weekend I will get a new tentioner.

Does any one know how many degres are between teeth on the cam gear? Years ago i ran a gear drive and it came with a few diferent inserts to advance or retard. +5 deg. worked the best for my set up. Thanks for the help guys

 

[v8318cid]

Out of desparation, I've used a long pole (possibly a tent pole but not sure) between the tensioner pulley and either the water pump housing or the thermostat housing. Not really a good idea because of the possibility of breaking the seals on those two assemblies, but it works in a pinch when you don't have the "mystery tool" that is often indicated.

 

[Jolly Roger]

Clearing up the mistery tool. A synchronizer positioning tool for the auxilery shaft on the 93 to 94 califoria models. Thats what i get for skimming over the directions in the dark after a long day.

 

[Jolly Roger]

Thanks for the pole trick.

 

[Duane867]

Don't worry about the aux. pulley.
You only need to back off the bolt a hair to get the tensioner to tension the belt if the spring is good. Use a pry bar or simillair as suggested to hold her back. You do not need a crap load or torque on the tensioner bolt either. Be careful or you'll strip it.

You REALLY need to get that balancer off and check the crank alignment.
If your truck is a 5spd I can guide you right through how to remove every thing and install it with no special tools.
If its an automatic you have to get a balancer puller.