Replacing the cambelt

[dandywarhol]

Has anyone replaced the belt from underneath without removing the inside centre cover?

[skater]

hi. no, but i was wondering that myself yesterday.
seems like it would be easier if possible.
might have to remove alt belts and aircon belt.
hopefully someone will know.
cheers from devon

[ford tinny]

Hello, just fitted cam belt myself last week, not to difficult!!, If there where two people fitting cam belt at same time,doing it from underneath might be easer as aligning two cam and crank marks yourself would mean climing out from underneath and going in cab and so-forth untill job was done
John (ford tinny)

[dandywarhol]

I once tried this stunt with an engine in a rig at college - with the engine idling, using a stanley knife, slice the old cambelt into two, turn off the engine and slacken the tensioner, remove the first part of the divided old belt then fit the new belt halfway onto the pulleys and cut the remaining old belt off. Then fully fit the new belt and tension as required. Job's a carrot, done in 15 mins - no aligning pulleys required - just not quite psyched up enough to do it on the Bongo yet

[smartmonkey]

I have never plucked up the courage to do it that way, if the belt lets go with a stanley knife in it the head will suffer horrible consequences. I am more tempted to turn the engine over by hand and cut down the long straight run a bit at a time. It wont take much longer and the head cant get smacked. I still think the pulleys can jump when the tensioner is released though and then you are back to square one.

[dandywarhol]

Yep, I'm with you smartmonkey, I just thought I'd try it with an old Pinto engine in the workshop. I've since heard that some guys in bonus paid by time saved garages are doing it - I suppose if it goes tits up all they'll do is charge the customer regardless

[Captainsideways]

I once tried this stunt with an engine in a rig at college - with the engine idling, using a stanley knife, slice the old cambelt into two, turn off the engine and slacken the tensioner, remove the first part of the divided old belt then fit the new belt halfway onto the pulleys and cut the remaining old belt off. Then fully fit the new belt and tension as required. Job's a carrot, done in 15 mins - no aligning pulleys required - just not quite psyched up enough to do it on the Bongo yet

Thats a classic method for doing some Mitsubishi cambelts

Some are right *****ds to do as both sides are under tension, thats the simple way.