computrtutr

I am trying to do my timing belt, but the crankshaft won't stay still (How many ages hence shall this our lofty scene be acted over in states yet unborn and accents yet unknown...)!
How do I hold it still? I don't have any halyard line, and I tried the rope in the cyl. 1 TDC hole method. What I did was to get cyl. 1 to TDC and then used a screwdriver to 'encourage" the rope to feed into the hole. When I couldn't jam any more rope in there, I pushed on the crankshaft bolt and the whole engine rotated! Note that I did not take off te timing belt yet, because I wanted to make sure the crankshaft wouldn't move. What did I do wrong? I even tried it with the car in 1st gear.

crotext

When you fill #1 cylinder with rope, the piston needs to be down more than half way and on the way up so the rope will stop the stroke. If you fill it at TDC the piston goes the other way away from the rope. Careful to leave at least a foot hanging out of the hole and I recommend against using a steel object (ie: screwdriver) in the open hole. Measure the piston stroke with a long wooden dowel.

computrtutr

OK, using a wooden dowel you measure the midpoint of the stroke. then fill the hole with rope. What I am interested in is what guarantees TDC. Is it the compression quality of the rope? The reason I ask is I just don't want to use a rope that is slightly different, etc. from the one you used.

quattro920

There is another way to do this. You could put the car into 5th gear, and have an assistant stand on the brakes when you un-torque the crankshaft bolt. That usually works quite well.

Hope that helps,

Wilson.

crotext

I used a good quality 1/4" rope of cotton/poly blend. I suppose a nylon rope would compress much more but I didn't use it so can't attest to it.

86_5K

Loose the bolts that hold the crank pully and cam gear. But don't take the bolts out. Set the TDC before you loose these bolts. Reset TDC after you loose them. After that, take the timing belt off.

crotext

This is good advice to heed!

jimweisptd

Or am I just paranoid. A shop lent me a tool that was shaped like a V w/ a pipe on it & a chain that locked it on the lower pully so you could loosen the nut, It was about three feet long. That amount of force I would surly bend an aluminum rod...ouch!

crotext

What ever does the job with the least expense makes me happy. I have heard the same remark several times of the possible damage this procedure can cause but not once has anyone confirmed it that I have seen! When mine came off it had something much less than the 350 ft lbs of pressure for sure. The damn cam bolt was the one frozen on mine.