Yeah thats what I'm worried about. But the basic idea I hear is "just have everything lined up"

Thanks for your help.

 

One thing I notice is confusion about the timing marks on the camshaft. The arrow is only approximate, some people seem to think the arrow needs to point exactly upwards.

The REAL timing marks are the 2 dimples out at the teeth of the camshaft sprocket. Those line up with the head, and the arrow is ONLY there to prevent you from being 180-degrees out.

I'd say, make sure you understand all the marks before you remove the old belt.

 

And if you are replacing a known good belt - not broken and no issues......be sure to make a few marks on the belt tooth to the gear. I use old nail polish, marker pens, whiteout, ect.

Do this on a few points....cam, crank, balance shaft gears, ect.

Then transfer the marks from the old belt to the new belt....a lot of counting teeth.

Then line the marks back up on the new belt to the gears....bam, done. New belt is in the exact position the old belt was.

 

Good ideas, thanks.

I'm fighting with the pulley now. Its harder than I thought it'd be and I don't have the hex tool. Which direction do I turn to get the bolt off?

I've tried the starter break method and putting it in gear and turning it, impact gun, but I can't tell which direction I should go.

Righty tighty lefty loosey... but I think this is the exception right?

 

It's NOT the exception. That bolt is a right-hand thread.

The "exception" is that the engine spins the opposite direction than most other cars. So when you used the starter-bump method, you were actually tightening the bolt.

 

Yeah looking it up I noticed that. Good thing I didn't keep trying it. I might cave and buy the tool but would jamming the wheel while in gear and trying to losen the bolt that way work? I haven't seen that technique used but it seems like it would right?

 

When I tried that, there was a lot of wind-up in the system and I got nervous about breaking something in the transmission before the bolt came off. I tried removing the starter & wedging a crowbar in the flywheel teeth. Got nervous about that one too; my daughter was holding the crowbar and I didn't want her to lose any teeth when it slipped.

I took it to a small local garage, they used a great big air impact to get it off. Tightened it back up enough to drive home then I was able to remove it easily.

 

I was thinking about that but that would mean putting everything back together and starting from step one. I underestimated this pulley. Ill try some other techniques and if not then thats the best option.

thanks jimblake

 

Got an electric impact driver? Remove the inner fender liner & use a short impact socket.

Things that reduce the torque produced by an impact driver:
- non-impact sockets are softer & they reduce the impact
- extensions: ANY extensions at all will reduce the impact force
- deep sockets reduce the torque but not as bad as an extension
- skinny hose (if it's an air-driven impact)

 

O'Reilly loans out the hex holder tool.