Replacing your timing belt (with pics)

[lgbbones]

The first time I had to remove the fan shroud on my 96 2.3 , to change the TB, I cut it in half after I got it out so it was then a bottom half and a top half, the two halves I held together with aluminum plate and screws, the screws on the outside and the plate on the inside except that I rivited the plate to the bottom half of the shroud. When the fan clutch failed a few months later all I had to do was remove the 4 screws from the outside of the top half and I could get to things without fighting the entire shroud at once. Sure made getting to the fan bolts easy.

 

[Mirage]

Hey lgbbones, great idea there! I may just cut the shroud on mine as well. And next time I have to change the heater core in my 96 B2300, I'm cutting a panel out of the firewall to get it out so I don't have to pull the dash out just to get to it.

 

[killacal]

Great writeup, it's better than the Haynes manual. Here are some other things I picked up while doing it.

If you break the timing belt, make sure that you use the Triangles to line up the camshaft, and the Diamonds to line up the oil pump pulley. Ford used the same pulley on both.... and it will drive you insane if you don't know about it (ask me how I know). When I did the timing belt on my ranger it took a lot of scrubbing/brake clean to find the triangle on the Camshaft pulley.

 

[snake]

I'll add too that in order to find TDC on the compression stroke, you can take #1 plug out, crank it around until you first feel compression on your finger (finger in SP hole) and then turn it by hand until you get the pulley on TDC. It should avoid confusion if the belt hadn't already slipped. That's how we do those engines equipped with a distributor also, keeps from getting it 180 degrees off when dropping in the dist. Most of you know this, but some may not- the crank goes around twice for every rotation of the cam. That's why the cam gear is bigger and it has to work that way to get the 4 strokes. Great writeup BTW

 

[Rogue_Wulff]

Imagine the look on my face when I took off the timing cover, and discovered that someone had lined up the dimples on the rear belt guides of the pullies with the triangle (cam) and diamond (oil pump). The cam was 5-6 teeth advanced, and the oil pump/cam position sensor was ~120* off (don't recall which direction).
Surprisingly, it actually ran. Not real well, but did in fact run WITHOUT setting off any trouble codes........ No power, and about 10 MPG. Took me all of 5 miles to determine the belt had to have been installed wrong. It also idled rather roughly.
I wish I had seen this thread sooner. It took me more than 2 weeks to find the *correct* info on the timing belt marks for a 95. I joined TRS the day I saw this in the magazine online. Every repair manual I looked in, simply mentioned lining up the marks, but didn't specify what those marks were supposed to be........ After seeing this, it became clear, and I solved the poor power/bad MPG in a hurry.

 

[JohnnyUhlar]

if anyone is still on this thread i really need help. i cannot for the life of me get the crank shaft pully to unbolt. i have an impact wrench from my friends shop and my tank is currently pushing 130psi. someone please help me before i lose it.

 

[scotts90ranger]

put a breaker bar with the socket on it and zip tie it to the bottom side of the passenger side frame rail, an extender pipe might be necessairy. Bump the starter quickly and walaa it will be loose

 

[Rattler]

Totally awesome thread, and always relevant with the Lima. Just when you think you know it all, you get reminded of something you forgot!
For all of y'all that have these 4 bangers, get rid of the 3.45 rear ends. I went to 4.56 and picked up fuel mileage, power, and I can use all five gears!
I liked my Ranger before, now I love it to be sure.

 

[JohnnyUhlar]

alright so heres a fun challenge for all you guys. im all the way down to my crank shaft pulley and i have an impadct wrench. i have my tank set all the way up to 130 psi. why the hell wont the thing come off? i saw the thing about securing it and then cranking over the motor but if my impact wrench wont do it im sure it would damage something .if anyone else knows some cool trick please for the love of rangers help me. either post in here or make my life easy and send me a message.

 

[scotts90ranger]

impacts won't do everything and if something does fail it would probably be the socket or it will just jump off the bolt head so not a big deal

 

[Rattler]

I balked at the breaker bar thing too, but it worked with no damage. Now it is the rule.
You let off the key real quick. All you are doing is breaking it free, the impact wrench will do the rest for you.
You are not the only one to say "No!", but when the bolt is free, you will say "Yes!"
Well, at least that is what I said. Just before dancing around like I just struck out Albert Pujols.
Hey, I spent a lot of time being hard headed about the crank bolt. What can I say?

 

[scotts90ranger]

we conferred a couple times in PM's, he tried it and it worked.

I was skeptic also, and the first time I attempted it I put the breaker bar in the wrong spot but it missed vital components...

 

[Rose2300]

So if you're replacing the timing belt anyway, why not just cut off the old one?

 

[scotts90ranger]

if you take it off the right way you can mark the old one and the pullies, transfer the marks to the new belt, and get the new belt on the right way the first time.

 

[86gter]

This was a great help for me today, glad I did a search for timing belt.

Thank you for a great write up