How does my timing belt look?

[camelman]

I just bought this truck and don't know the history on the timing belt. The previous owner has blocked his number, so I can't call him either. Weird, but such is life. I snapped the attached picture of the outside of the timing belt. I can take more if necessary, but need to know how/where to take them.

The truck has 175k on it, but I don't know if the timing belt has ever been changed.

Thanks,
Camelman

 

[jhammel85]

It's hopefully been changed at least once. I don't think it'd hurt to do it...Just for peace of mind...

It's hard to tell from those marks. Can you get pictures of the inside of the belt? Do the teeth on the belt look cracked or anything? Is there much deflection at all?

 

[tomw]

As far as I know, it is impossible for anyone to tell the age/condition of the belt from inspection. Most failures are at startup, when the crankshaft sprocket will eat a few teeth from the belt, and then it is not in time any more. The rest of the belt looked fine as far as I could tell.
If you want piece of mind, change it. Pretty much less than $20 out the door. Most say change the water pump & tensioner, but I don't see the need as I have not had the best of luck with replacement water pumps. If the pump or tensioner bearings feel rough, loose, or squeaky, I'd replace them. If they rotate smoothly and freely, I'd leave them.
tom

 

[wizkid00104]

I just did all this on my Ranger. It has 206,000 on it. My belt was cracked on the outside and that was enough for me to replace it. I redid the entire cooling system at the same time. I got the belt and a new tensioner from Advance Auto. Coupons brought it to $37 for the pair. Here are the posts....

New floor board arrived. Hopefully I can get that in on Sunday with the help of my buddy's dad (no welder yet and I lack the skills)



Decided to drain the Peak Super Flush last night and begin disassembling the cooling system. Got some slightly discolored water out and some sediment as well. I am pleased with that product thus far.



After the system was flushed with the garden hose, I pulled the radiator hoses and plugged the bottom hole so I could fill the radiator with white vinegar. It is a weak acid that helps eat away the iron deposits in the radiator. I am just trying to get it as clean as I can. I let is soak for a few hours and got even more sediment out.



I used a "balloon" to plug the outlet...






Radiator neck compared to the new one:




Old thermostat:


Old water pump:




Everything came out rather easily... which scares me. I am replacing the heater hose attached to the water pump. It was really dry rotted near the outlet. I was pleasantly surprised to find the bearings and water pump still in decent shape (205,000 miles on them). I am gonna clean it up and throw it on the shelf for a spare.

I ran out of daylight so tonight I want scrape the old gasket material off and get everything cleaned up.

To remove the water pump, the manual recommended pulling the timing belt cover. I am glad I did this. I found the belt is rather cracked after 20 years of use and the tensioner is tensioning anything either. While I have it apart, I am going to replace those as well. I read the procedure in the Tech Library which was very helpful.

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Summer2010/4cyl_timing_belt.shtml



No pressure:


Pressure:


The parts are in stock at one of the local Advances, so I am going to pick them up tonight or tomorrow. I think the only other tool I need for the timing belt is a 3 jaw puller. I'll probably just get a loaner from Advance for now.

Finished the cooling system and timing belt on Saturday.

Pulled the radiator flushed it really well with the garden hose and then let the vinegar soak in it for about 6 hours. It really does help remove the deposits in the radiator.



Got the idler, tensioner, and crankshaft pulleys off.





Lined up my marks



Had to rent the pulley tool to remove the inner part of the crankshaft pulley.





New idler tensioner pulley:



Didn't take any photos of the new belt installed, but I had to put it on and take it off 3 times to get alignment markings to match up. One of the pulleys rotated ever so slightly and it through me off.

New water pump:



Replaced all the coolant hoses. Decided to clean up the coolant temp sensor which proved to be a good idea.





All done:







So far it looks all good. Engine runs smoother with less ticking than before.

Here are some shots of the old timing belt. It was time to replace it:





Didn't get to the floor pan yet, but I will soon enough...

 

[exbass94]

If you have no idea if/when it was ever changed, I would just go ahead and change it. The same goes for any other maintenance items you don't know about: All fluids (oil, coolant, trans fluid, diff fluid, PS fluid, brake fluid), spark plugs, fuel filter, air filter, PCV valve. Just do everything so you get a baseline that you can base all future maintenance off of.

 

[camelman]

Sounds like I need to change the timing belt. It'll have to wait until I'm off crutches, but it's on the list. Thanks for the feedback, and thanks to wizkid for the pics!

Camelman

 

[wizkid00104]

No problem. That is what we are here for.

Just give yourself plenty of time and be EXTREMELY careful about the timing markings. The crankshaft need to be at Top Dead Center , the camshaft needs to be aligned with the notch behind the cover, and the oil pump pulley may have alignment markings on it too.

Once reassembled, check the alignment to top dead center and the pulleys by rotating the engine once or twice. It can be very easy to install the belt off by one tooth.

And the tensioner pulley can be a pain in the ass. You have to pry against the spring and then one of the bolts in the bracket can be used to clamp it in place. It's annoying but not impossible.

 

[camelman]

Timing Belt & Plugs/Wires Changed... now new projects

I changed the timing belt, plugs and wires a couple days ago, and I'm glad I did! The plugs on the passenger side must have been changed once, but the driver's side plugs had not been changed at all and had 175,000 miles on them. One of the driver's side plugs failed when I pulled the plug wire out and the center of it came with the plug wire! I should have taken pictures. Anyway, the truck runs much better now.

The timing belt looked like it had been replaced before, but the tensioner appeared original. The tensioner was not pressing on the timing belt though, and it had a bad bearing, so I replaced the tensioner and the timing belt. I also replaced the coolant, that was VERY ready for a change. I regret not replacing the water pump and the neck to the upper radiator hose. Thanks to everyone who chimed in!

I came away from the work with two issues though, and would appreciate feedback:
First, the ABS light came on... I only have rear ABS. I opened the reservoir and tapped on the plastic box inside, and the ABS light went out. Does this sound fishy, or is it something I can live with?
Second, the truck chugs really badly at low RPM. It did not do this with the previous plugs, and does not do it when cold, but definitely dislikes low RPM operation when warmed up. I don't have a tach, but 10 MPH in second can create some serious lurching. Could this be a sensor or vacuum line issue? I have a timing gun and will run a test the next time I drive it.

Thanks,
Camelman

 

[tomw]

If you didn't have the chug before doing the work, I'd be looking at all the 'things' on the drivers side of the head where you had to manipulate things for plug replacement. You may have dislodged something.
I would also do a check on the cam timing by bringing the crankshaft to TDC, and removing the plug in the belt cover sort of behind the upper radiator hose. Look for a triangle on the cam pulley to line up with the pointer attached to the engine when the crankshaft is at TDC.
I would also add that if the plug wires are crossed, possible, but not too likely, on the passenger side, those plugs may be firing at the wrong time for the cylinders affected. Those plugs do not fire all the time, but are enabled in certain circumstances which have successfully evaded my memory.
tom

 

[wizkid00104]

For the ABS light,

Mine came on after an oil change. The module is mounted to the frame frail under the oil filter. I cleaned up the terminals and it went back out.

There is a level switch in the reservoir that will alert you if the fluid goes below a certain point. However, I don't remember if it turns on the ABS light or the Parking Brake Light.

I'd keep an eye on it. Make sure you have sufficient brake fluid and that the level is not going down.

For the chugging,

I was just dealing with something like this on mine. I was getting surging idle and idle so low that the engine would almost stall. In my case, it was the Idle Air Control Valve. It bolts to the side of the throttle body. I cleaned it with Gumout and lubricated it, but it only magnified the problem. Replaced it Saturday morning and the idle is now great.

I agree with Tom about possibly dislodging something.