Howdy everybody, I am going to be tackling the timing belt/water pump when I get off work tonight. So far I basically have done everything I can without having the jack under the engine and the driver side wheel off. I've taken off the AC Belt, removed valve cover, loosened motor mount, removed top timing belt cover, couple other small things up top.

Now, I've read some topics on how to do this on other F22xx engines, but none for the F22B2, so I just have a couple questions to square things out.

After I have everything at TDC and loosen the adjusting bolt, I remove the belts. Then I remove and replace the water pump. When I go to put back on the new belts, I want to make sure I tension it right. From what I have read, It sayed to push the timing belt tensioner down and the balance shaft belt pulley up and to tighten the adjusting bolt so you can get your new belts on. Once I have the timing belt on, it said to loosen the adjusting bolt so that the springs could tension the belt. Now here's the part where i'm confused, they said once you lock the tensioner pulley in for the timing belt with one of the bolt from the covers, to rotate the engine 5-6 times and bring it back to TDC. Then it says to adjust the cam 3-teeth, now to me that sounds vague. Does that just mean to rotate the engine till about 3 of the "teeth" on the top pulley are below or above the head?

For example, this is what im referring to.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...CPosition2.jpg

I would hate to tension the belt incorrectly and have all this be a waste of time and money so I figured I would ask before I actually tried it!

Thanks and sorry for rambling.

 

I cannot help on your question but what is your plan on removing the crank pulley bolt?
It is often insanely hard to remove.

 

Yes, you rotate engine 3 teeth on camshaft sprocket to tension the TB.

Crispin has a good point on the crankshaft pulley bolt. It has defeated a few folks who went to a shop because they couldn't break the bolt loose.

good luck

 

A bit more explanation for that...

After you rotate the engine a couple revolutions, your new belts have kinda settled into position. You want to 'move' any slack in the belt over to the back side of the engine where the tensioner pulley can take it up.

Using a wrench on the crank pulley, rotate the crankshaft forwards just enough so the front (long) span of the belt is tight. The rear span (with the waterpump & tensioner) should have the slack (if there is any slack).

Hold that wrench, so the crankshaft doesn't turn back any small fraction. You want the front (long) span of the belt to stay a bit tight.

Now while you hold the wrench, you'll use another wrench to loosen the tensioner pulleys. That allows the springs to take up the slack in the belts. Tighten the tensioner-pulley nut back up again before you let go of the crankshaft wrench.

Now the timing belt isn't gonna be TIGHT like an alternator belt. One measure that I've used is you should be able to twist that long front span of the belt no more than about 90-degrees with your fingers.