Fiesta TDC locking pin question

I'm going to have to replace the timing belt on my Fiesta Zetec soon. Haynes show a home-made tool for holding the crankshaft pulley while you undo the bolt, but also mention a locking pin for retightening. Now, I do have the locking pin (not just the timing pin). Could I also use this while undoing the bolt, instead of having to make the other tool? I'd have guessed you could, but I don't want to snap it into the crankcase.

Also, why do they say to remove the cam sprockets? Does this mean that there is no key on the crankshaft, and that since you are unlikely to get the crankshaft sprocket back in the same position, you need to be able to reset the camshaft sprockets more precisely?

Reply to
Etaoin Shrdlu
Loading thread data ...

Year and engine size are always a help...

However, on the basis that it's a Zetec *engine*, rather than trim level, the crankshaft pulley is *not* keyed.

It is essential to use the correct tools and method when doing the cam- belt on these; if you get anything wrong, it will require a cylinder head rebuild as a minimum.

I know of garages that have been over-confident with Zetec engines; in one case, they got it wrong twice on the same job and ended up fitting a second hand engine to the poor owners Focus.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Sorry, I don't usually forget. 2003 1.4 Zetec engine.

Well, bugger...

I'd have preferred to leave the camshaft sprockets alone, since they appear to be plastic, and I don't want to have to hold them (and risk weakening them) with a home-made tool. I suppose the most important thing is to hand-crank the engine a few times after the job, and make sure the marks still line up. Last time I had to do a timing belt was a

1.6 Capri; which was a doddle, of course, but that was the good old days.
Reply to
Etaoin Shrdlu
[...]

If you get it wrong, even turning it over by hand is likely to bend a valve.

I'm guessing the Capri was a Pinto? They don't usually bend the valves when the engine is mis-timed or the belt breaks. Anything vaguely modern will, at the very least.

I don't mean to belittle your ability, and good for you if you want to have a go, but you *really* need to get it right with these. You might even want to consider getting it done professionally; the cost of the 'proper' tools you need will pay for most of the labour costs.

I tried to warn a neighbour about how tricky engines with un-keyed crankshaft pulleys can be. He wouldn't listen, and a fortnight later his wife's '03 Fiesta went off to the scrappy...

He's not unskilled; he's tackled similar jobs, and bigger ones, before. He also has a decent tool kit.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Yes, it was. The belt stripped some teeth while we were out, and all that happened was a sort of loud raspberry noise.

Okay, thanks for the warning. It's not that I can't afford to get these things done professionally any more (unlike the Capri days); but I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and try to do as much as I can in everything. I don't want to wreck the car, though :-)

Reply to
Etaoin Shrdlu

Well bend it, get it stuck & or time it up wrong cos you've knackered it You can end up applying a lot of welly to it.

Yes, you'll want the tool. which is quite affordable

Reply to
Duncan Wood

I realised you can't really use the locking pin to undo the crank bolt, because you want to keep the whole thing as close to TDC as possible throughout the procedure (so that you don't have to turn the engine while the valves aren't moving), and turning the bolt anticlockwise against the pin would leave the engine in an unfavourable rotation once the bolt had come out. I'd originally thought that the pins located in a hole in the counterweights, but it seems that they just contact the side of the web.

Yes, I saw some on ebay for less than £20. If I decide to do it by myself, I'll get one.

Reply to
Etaoin Shrdlu

On Fri, 08 Aug 2014 23:46:54 +0100, Etaoin Shrdlu wro= te:

=

The locking tools occasionally turn up there as well. =

Reply to
Duncan Wood

En el artículo , Chris Whelan escribió:

This is news to me. How do they get them right in the factory?

Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

The whole point of keyless crank pulleys is that they *can* get them right in the factory!

It's also easy to do 'in the field' as long as you follow the correct procedure, and use the right tools.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

En el artículo , Chris Whelan escribió:

Well, yeah, thanks for nothing. I was wondering how they do it, i.e. what the manufacturing process is. Presumably they're at an advantage because the engine is only partially built at the stage where the pulley is aligned and fitted so it's easy to determine TDC, whereas someone retrofitting a belt in the field doesn't have that advantage.

Get out of bed the wrong side this morning?

Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

One further point; it is essential to use a new crankshaft bolt tightened to the correct torque. There are two lengths, and again it is essential to use the correct replacement.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan
[...]

No. You?

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

En el artículo , Chris Whelan escribió:

So you're grumpy all the time, then?

Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

Try to be.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Well, I've had a Gates timing belt kit for a while, since I promised the car I would do it when I had a bit of time. It has a new tensioner, and two bolts to choose from. Having a quick look at it today, though, once I had the auxiliary belt off, I couldn't think of a way of getting the crankcase bolt off. Haynes' photo shows a locking tool with two arms sticking into holes in the pulley. Mine doesn't have any holes at all. I have a locking pin for tightening it up (thicker than the timing pin) that I might use to lock it while undoing it, but then the crank would be so far away from TDC that I'm not sure I could get it all back into position once the pulley comes off. Assuming I could even get it off without breaking the pin.

Reply to
Etaoin Shrdlu

You undo the crank bolt by locking the flywheel, this can be done by using a suitable large screwdriver in the flywheel teeth, or even a a special tool that engages in the teeth (cheap tool from any good car shop) Don't forget to renew the water pump and anti-freeze while you do the job.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

I did the water pump about a year ago, because it had got a bit squeaky, so I'll probably leave that. Is locking the teeth achieved by sticking something in near where the starter motor goes? Seems the obvious (even the only) place to me, but I feel I ought to check.

Reply to
Etaoin Shrdlu

Ah, I've seen the crankshaft locking tools. Ingenious.

Reply to
Etaoin Shrdlu

the large screwdriver goes in from underneath, at the back by the drive shaft. The car needs to be raised and very secure and a seriously long breaker bar is needed to undo the crank bolt.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.