[michaelmacd]

Hi all, I recently purchased a 2007 159,2.4 JTD 210.

All is good(although feels a lot slower thn my 147 1.9 jtdm 150hp)

It does however need its timing belt and water pump changed, not on miles, but the age.

I do all my own work on our cars, although I have never done a timing belt change. I have done a lot of reading and browsing this forum and other information I could find, and would be buying the cam and crank tools should I attempt this job.

To start off with I was thinking it would just be a garage job but the more I read the more I think it feels like a job I can complete.

Any advice on best practices things to look out for, thinks that could go wrong without me noticing?

My plan was as follows:

Insert cam locking tool, rotate crank until the tool clicks.
Lock crank to check that timing was originally correct
I was then thinking I would make marks with tipex, just as a failsafe.
remove belt-which I believe you need to remove the crank lock tool for?
refit crank lock tool
replace water pump, idler and tensioner
refit belt-starting at the crank and working back finishing on the tensioner?
use a pulley-holder, and loosen the cam pulley, whilst leaving the camlock tool in place
tighten tensioner up to the arrow.

I would then remove the lock tools and turn the engine a few full rotations before refitting the cam lock tool and then refit the crank locking tool, if all is successful the tool will fit straight back on. If not the holes wont line up right?

I'm not 100% sure what to do if they fail to line up? fit cam lock remove the belt and then fit crank lock and refit belt I'm assuming that would mean the engine is correctly timed if the tools fit correctly?

Sorry for the long post, I just would rather get it correct and have a idea what to do if things don't go to plan at first attempt of rotating the engine.

Thanks, Michael

 

[johnnyroper]

Slacken cam sprocket bolt while engine still locked up,fit belt and over tension slightly. Tighten cam sprocket then turn engine 2 revolutions and lock back up again. Reset tension to the markets on tensioner.


Check condition of crank pulley while it’s off as the rubber deteriorated causing the 2 sections to separate.

Check condition of the drive belts and also alternator over running pulley while it’s in pieces.

It’s certainly a job someone handy with tools can achieve.

Also while it’s on stands and under tray is off have a good check of subframe for corrosion

 

[michaelmacd]

Thank you! I'm going to tackle this within the next few weeks as I have 2 weeks holidays coming up. Really appreciate your reply ?

 

[bigjim]

You sure it's running right. Surely it should feel faster than a 147.
I know they're not too quick off the mark but once rolling the 159 should be a level above the 147.

 

[michaelmacd]

Guess it might not be! I've scanned it with mes and had an issue with the maf and a rpm sensor, cleaned the maf, map and egr out, and fitted a restrictor plate. I also changed the cam sensor and have a crank sensor to put in aswell as wasn't sure which was the rpm sensor and for the price of them it's no big deal changing them

 

[michaelmacd]

Just out of curiosity. How does the tensioner need to be as right as you can get it before rotating the engine then setting tensioner to the correct setting?

I seen in elearn it said this also but never thought anything off it. There must be a reason?

 

[OldSmokey159]

Curious also why the cam pulley needs to be loosened before fitting the belt?

 

[alfaitalia]

So you can tension the belt without the camshaft itself trying to move....otherwise the belt could have half a tooth of slack between the crank and the camshafts. Although this slack will probably be taken up with the final tensioning it would happen at the expense of possibly making the timing between the crank and the cams fractionally out. Its actually a lot harder to explain in writing than it is to understand!!!

 

[OldSmokey159]

So you can tension the belt without the camshaft itself trying to move....otherwise the belt could have half a tooth of slack between the crank and the camshafts. Although this slack will probably be taken up with the final tensioning it would happen at the expense of possibly making the timing between the crank and the cams fractionally out. Its actually a lot harder to explain in writing than it is to understand!!!

Thanks for that. Just to clarify, is it the intake cam that needs to be loosened off (presumably it is because the exhaust cam is locked).

 

[alfaitalia]

Exhaust cam....there is no inlet cam sprocket....the cams are linked together internally via cogs.

 

[johnnyroper]

As alfaitalia said it’s basically so the slack at front of belt run is taken up without cam moving. If I remember correctly the tensioner is set almost at the end of its travel and then once cam sprocket is torqued and engine rotated twice and locked up again tensioner is backed off to the correct marks.
I personally rotate engine twice again after to make sure all ok before final torque on tensioner and refitting of covers etc.

 

[michaelmacd]

I know I started this thread a long time ago now, but I have another question. I started this on saturday and also removed the inlet manifold, which I have split, cleaned, sealed back up and removed the swirl flaps and plugged. The car isn't totally back together as its been raining on and off was hoping to get it today but doesn't look likely with more rain

Anyway! My question relates to the timing belt. I know I have to loosen the cam sprocket so it 'floats' when tensioning the belt, but I'm assuming the cam sprocket has a pin to lock it onto the shaft? How do I get it back onto the pin to tighten it up?

Or is there no pin/spline/key whatever it would be called on the shaft and its held purely by the torque of the bolt?

May be over thinking this and should have asked before I started! I wont be starting the engine till I can successfully lock it off again after turning so will know if i've gone wrong.

Thanks in advance!

 

[alfaitalia]

Nope.....just a taper fit on the shaft….no pin.

 

[michaelmacd]

Brilliant thanks for your response! Makes life a lot easier. I did wonder why there was no marks for lining the belt limes up. Guess it doesn't make a bit of difference when there's no pin or key to line up with as the correct slack will be taken up by the tensioner putting the belt in the right place.

 

[michaelmacd]

Out of curiosity. Do you know if the camshaft nut is regular or reverse thread? I have a sprocket holder (not a brilliant one). Would it be fine to use the impact gun on it?

 

[OldSmokey159]

Apologies, realise this thread is a few months old now but have a couple of questions that I cannot find elsewhere.
1. What is the torque setting for the exhaust camshaft nut?
2. Is the exhaust camshaft nut threaded normally or reverse threaded?
3. What is the torque setting for the cam belt tensioner and idler pulley?

Much appreciated.

 

[michaelmacd]

Apologies, realise this thread is a few months old now but have a couple of questions that I cannot find elsewhere.
1. What is the torque setting for the exhaust camshaft nut?
2. Is the exhaust camshaft nut threaded normally or reverse threaded?
3. What is the torque setting for the cam belt tensioner and idler pulley?

Much appreciated.

Hi the sprocket was normal threaded, and it was pretty difficult to remove. These are the torques listed on elearn. Hope this helps. All torques are shown in daNm, so times them by 10 to get the correct Nm value.

 

[OldSmokey159]

Perfect thanks ?
Did you use the impact gun on the exhaust sprocket in the end? I don’t imagine it will do any harm if counterforce is applied!?

 

[Tomdownunder]

I did the timing belt on mine soon after buying it for the same reason (time rather than kms). If doing it with motor in the car it requires supporting the motor on a jack and lifting up and down to get timing cover bolts and engine mount off.

I found that one of the bolts was very hard to get out, as even with the engine lowered I ended up with the bolt at an angle to clear the bodywork. I did the whole job in a day though. I was thinking next time I might drill a hole in the inner mudguard to make removing the bolt easier.

There are also marks on the belt which can be copied onto the pulleys to easily line every thing up on reassembly. I used a Gates belt as replacement. It pays to the water pump at the same time also.