GTA cambelt change DIY

Hi everyone,
i'm in the process of doing my cambelt on my car and i have a few questions for the experts.
1. How the hell i'm i supposed to fit a torque wrench betwwen the chassis leg and the cam pulleys to tighten them? Do i need a spanner ended torque wrench? If yes then i have to wait till tuesday to borrow one from work.
2. The idlers that i have received dont include the screw and washer. Do i need to change the screw and washer or is it safe to use the old ones?
3. Water pump. Should i undo the bolts that connect it to the top bit that goes on the main water galery? or should i slide it all off as a single unit? Will the main water pipe stay in its place at the thermostat end as i pull the water pump?
4. What type of silver would be best for cam covers and plenum? IS brasso good to polish the intake pipes?

Cheers

Kostas

Anyone????

I have come to a dead end as i'm waiting the 41mm socket to be put on a lathe in order to make it small enough to fit. Hopefully i can continue tonight.
At least i have finished all the cosmetic engine work.

Originally Posted by newalfisti

I have come to a dead end as i'm waiting the 41mm socket to be put on a lathe in order to make it small enough to fit. Hopefully i can continue tonight.
At least i have finished all the cosmetic engine work.

you had to have the socket reduced? i can fit a std impact socket on my v6 (all use the same size nut)

brasso should be ok on your runners

Right,
i managed to remove the crank puley tonight. unfortunately the fancy tool i bought off Totally alfa that is supposed to lock the crank pulley is utter crap, what a waste of money. So i had to result to other methods. Cam belt is off, two front cam pulleys came out nicely. I now need a decent allen bit to remove the idler pulleys and a ring spanner to undo the rear cam pulleys.
The locking tools fitted perfectly and i'm impressed that the engine timing was spot on. The only thing i noticed was that the tensioner is at its last legs and there is a small amount of belt dust which indicates that this has been rubbing on the covers.

The plan for tomorrow is to borrow the necessary tools and continue the disassembly, replace the water pump, fit the new belt and time everything up. Then on Friday assemble everything and change the gearbox oil.

So far i have found this job quiet fiddly and it requires a lot of tools which i need to book out from work and this delays me significantly.
I spent about 100£ at totally alfa and i must say that the only things that work well is the coutertorque tool and the tensioning tool. The rest is shiite.

That's interesting. The aux pully nut is always a struggle to get undone....

From the 1st time I did a V6:

http://alfa145.com/upload/200plp.jpg

http://alfa145.com/upload/IMG_0225.JPG

Like you I still don't have a satisfactory method of locking the engine. I generally do it the pikey way - Jack both sides of the car up, remove both fron wheels and jam the brake discs with a substantial screwdriver then put it into 6th.

Problem with this is it puts a lot of loading through the gearbox.

1. How the hell i'm i supposed to fit a torque wrench betwwen the chassis leg and the cam pulleys to tighten them? Do i need a spanner ended torque wrench? If yes then i have to wait till tuesday to borrow one from work.

Ideally yes but effing tight is an acceptable method.


2. The idlers that i have received dont include the screw and washer. Do i need to change the screw and washer or is it safe to use the old ones?

You'll find they generally get mangled when you take them out. New bolts are adviseable.


3. Water pump. Should i undo the bolts that connect it to the top bit that goes on the main water galery? or should i slide it all off as a single unit? Will the main water pipe stay in its place at the thermostat end as i pull the water pump?

Take the top off it. The pipe in the V is a PITA. Use some silicone lube on the o rings to help seal it when you put it back together.



4. What type of silver would be best for cam covers and plenum? IS brasso good to polish the intake pipes?

Brasso's fine. If your going to paint the covers you need to prime them with an etch primer of the paint will flake off within 12 months.

Originally Posted by alfaspence

you had to have the socket reduced? i can fit a std impact socket on my v6 (all use the same size nut)

brasso should be ok on your runners

I did too.

Originally Posted by Chris155

That's interesting. The aux pully nut is always a struggle to get undone....

From the 1st time I did a V6:

http://alfa145.com/upload/200plp.jpg

http://alfa145.com/upload/IMG_0225.JPG

Like you I still don't have a satisfactory method of locking the engine. I generally do it the pikey way - Jack both sides of the car up, remove both fron wheels and jam the brake discs with a substantial screwdriver then put it into 6th.

Problem with this is it puts a lot of loading through the gearbox.

1. How the hell i'm i supposed to fit a torque wrench betwwen the chassis leg and the cam pulleys to tighten them? Do i need a spanner ended torque wrench? If yes then i have to wait till tuesday to borrow one from work.

Ideally yes but effing tight is an acceptable method.


2. The idlers that i have received dont include the screw and washer. Do i need to change the screw and washer or is it safe to use the old ones?

You'll find they generally get mangled when you take them out. New bolts are adviseable.


3. Water pump. Should i undo the bolts that connect it to the top bit that goes on the main water galery? or should i slide it all off as a single unit? Will the main water pipe stay in its place at the thermostat end as i pull the water pump?

Take the top off it. The pipe in the V is a PITA. Use some silicone lube on the o rings to help seal it when you put it back together.



4. What type of silver would be best for cam covers and plenum? IS brasso good to polish the intake pipes?

Brasso's fine. If your going to paint the covers you need to prime them with an etch primer of the paint will flake off within 12 months.

Hi Chris, thanks for your input.

I too used the 6th gear and my wife pushin the brake pedal. I cannot believe the amount of force i had to put. I was using a 3/4 drive breaker par and extension and it was all bending.

The idler pulley screws seem to be tightened by the same amount as the crank pulley .
I tried undoing one last night but i didnt want to mangle the head so i will wait till today to buy a decent hex bit.

I did all the painting with etch primer, then i used some alloy wheel silver paint. I hope they won't flake.

If you do round them off......

(taken from here:http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-...down-dead.html (166 3.0 V6 strip down (dead)))

To gain access to the lower pully in car on a 156 you have to drop it off the offside front engine mount. I don’t know what access is like on a 166.

Its much easier to gain access to the top (mid) pully as you can remove the section of engine its bolted to quite
Easily…. Remove the section held on with the nuts circled green. You may to remove the shield 1st, I can’t remember TBH. Its held on via the bolts circled cyan.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...t/IMGP1826.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...t/IMGP1827.jpg

Chris,

you get the 'removed from photobucket' message when clicking on those last two. Your photos are always brilliant so definitely worth seeing.

Chris,

Is there any issues with setting the timing when the new belt is on? I know there are the bespoke cam locking tools but is there any minor tweeks to alter the timing - as I was told today. Without vernier pulleys I was a bit puzzled by the comment, after having left the conversation. Is there a keyway on the inlet cam taper - or is it friction only??

Originally Posted by edward

Chris,

Is there any issues with setting the timing when the new belt is on? I know there are the bespoke cam locking tools but is there any minor tweeks to alter the timing - as I was told today. Without vernier pulleys I was a bit puzzled by the comment, after having left the conversation. Is there a keyway on the inlet cam taper - or is it friction only??

It is pretty straight forward. You need to use the correct countertorque tool when you tighten the pulleys in order for them not to move with respect to the cam and mess the tension on the belt.
As long as you find TDC then everything is good.

Progress has been very slow as i have visitors to entertain at home. Yesterday i sneaked i the garage for a couple of hours, fitted the new water pump and as it wall was going well i managed to strip the 1 of the 3 nuts that hold the reaction bracket on the cylinder head. The manual said 42-52NM i set the torque wrench at 48 and it stripped. I have to try a new nut tonight and see what hapopens.

does the engine have to come out to change the cambelt ?

Originally Posted by gbernard

does the engine have to come out to change the cambelt ?

No

Originally Posted by gbernard

does the engine have to come out to change the cambelt ?

You don't even have to move its engine mounts unless the idler pulley cannot come off.

Originally Posted by newalfisti

Progress has been very slow as i have visitors to entertain at home. Yesterday i sneaked i the garage for a couple of hours, fitted the new water pump and as it wall was going well i managed to strip the 1 of the 3 nuts that hold the reaction bracket on the cylinder head. The manual said 42-52NM i set the torque wrench at 48 and it stripped. I have to try a new nut tonight and see what hapopens.

What did you take it off for? You mean the alloy casting that the mid idler is boltedto?

Oh, you know the idlers have a front and a back don't you? (I've made that mistake....once.....

Hi Chris,
i took it off in order to remove the damn idler as there was no hope to do it in situ. At least i managed to save the screws that came out like new. But then i mangled the one of the 3 that holds the casting in place. I wish i had left it tightened with my hand rather than the bloody torque wrench.

Old waterpump/timebomb was in good shape.

Thanks for the idler bit. Fortunately i have marked everything with paint pen.

lol okay...

you are replacing them arn't you?

Originally Posted by Chris155

lol okay...

you are replacing them arn't you?

Of course,
the paint pen helps me understand which side is which when i compare them with the new ones.

Here is a question.
i changed the stripped nut last night with a new one. It tightened to 35NM if i take it past that it goes into yield.
Shall i leave it or should i remove everything and cange the stud and nut?

Put a thicker washer on it? Remove and replace the stud? Superglue?