bigpete

yeah the cheat i use is simply a way of not having to beg borrow steal, or heaven forbid "buy", a timing kit and the method i described earlier is a much simplified version of the process, and it is true that you should check belt tension after using this method and adjust if necassary. as far as belt life goes, i replaced mine with a "gates" belt which are among the best, but even so i will be changing it well before the recommended replacement interval, probably around the 40 thou mark. this method isn't a bodge and like i said earlier, what i wrote earlier is a much simplified version and therefore i wouldn't expect anyone to give it a go just armed with what is written above. the method is very effective and i know of a good few mechanics who have used it, especially on obscure cars that are difficult to get timing kits for.

hi, no its simply a way around having to buy and use a timing kit, it works like this, you remove the plastic timing belt cover, the auxillary belt(s) and the left hand engine mount. then you loosen the crank pulley bolt and remove the auxillary belt drive pulley (leaving the timing belt pulley in place) and then replace the crank pulley bolt (to hold the timingbelt pulley in place). now the scary bit, take a stanley knife and split the timing belt down the middle (your best doing this from the top of the engine around the cam pulley) split about 6 inches at a time and turn the engine over by the crank bolt that you re-fitted (do not turn the engine over with the starter) and continue turning and splitting until you have split the whole belt. you now will have effectively 2 timing belts on there (albeit very thin ones). its now a simple matter of snipping off only one of the thin belts and lining up your new belt around the pulleys and pushing the new belt into place (a bit tight but it does go) when the new belt is in place and nicely sat on all the pulleys you then snip off the remainder of the old belt and push the new belt all the way into its new position and hey presto, done. now replace the bits you've taken off. it took me about 2 hours to change my belt. i've done this now on about a dozen cars and it works great, even on 16v cars. i hope this is of some use to you. :rolleyes:

hey there, yeah i changed my belt about 6 months ago (103,000 miles), unfortunately i cant answer your question directly because i cheated when i done mine, i used the "split belt" trick, relatively easy and quick and works every time :rolleyes: