ever replace timing belt in a pt cruiser
 

2002 pt cruiser it sounds like the timing belt is slaping the inside of the cover. and it looks like a major deal does the motor have to come out the bottom ? has anyone done this one?

REMOVAL

1. Disconnect negative battery cable.
2. Raise vehicle on hoist. Remove right front wheel.
3. Remove the right splash shield.
4. Remove accessory drive belts.
5. Remove crankshaft damper
6. Remove the lower torque strut
7. Disconnect exhaust system from manifold.
8. Disconnect A/C pressure switch at rear of compressor housing.
9. Lower vehicle and support engine with a jack.
10. Discharge A/C system and disconnect A/C lines at coupling block
11. Remove upper torque strut
12. Remove screw attaching ground strap to strut bracket.
13. Remove torque strut bracket from strut tower.
14. Remove upper radiator support crossmember
15. Remove power steering pump and bracket. Set pump aside. Do not disconnect lines from pump.</B>
16. With engine properly supported, remove right engine mount through bolt.
17. Raise engine with jack until engine support bracket bolts are accessible.
18. Remove support bracket bolts.
19. Remove support bracket.
20. Remove upper timing belt cover fasteners and remove cover.
21. Remove lower timing belt cover fasteners and remove cover
22. CAUTION: When aligning crankshaft and camshaft timing marks always rotate engine from crankshaft. Camshaft should not be rotated after timing belt is removed. Damage to valve components may occur. Always align timing marks before removing timing belt.
23. Before the removal of the timing belt, rotate crankshaft until the TDC mark on oil pump housing aligns with the TDC mark on crankshaft sprocket (trailing edge of sprocket tooth)
24. NOTE: The crankshaft sprocket TDC mark is located on the trailing edge of the sprocket tooth. Failure to align trailing edge of sprocket tooth to TDC mark on oil pump housing will cause the camshaft timing marks to be misaligned.
25. Install 6 mm Allen wrench into belt tensioner. Before rotating the tensioner, insert the long end of a 1/8” or 3 mm Allen wrench into the pin hole on the front of the tensioner .
26. While rotating the tensioner counterclockwise, push in lightly on the 1/8” or 3 mm Allen wrench, until it slides into the locking hole.
27. Remove timing belt. CAUTION: If timing belt was damaged due to incorrect tracking (alignment), the belt tensioner assembly must be replaced

INSTALLATION

1. Set crankshaft sprocket to TDC by aligning the sprocket with the arrow on the oil pump housing.
2. Set camshafts timing marks so that the exhaust camshaft sprocket is a 1/2 notch below the intake camshaft sprocket
3. CAUTION: Ensure that the arrows on both camshaft sprockets are facing up.
4. Install timing belt. Starting at the crankshaft, go around the water pump sprocket, idler pulley, camshaft sprockets and then around the tensioner
5. Move the exhaust camshaft sprocket counterclockwise to align marks and take up belt slack. NOTE: A new tensioner is held in the wound position by a pull pin.
6. Remove the pull pin or Allen wrench from the belt tensioner.
7. Once the timing belt has been installed and tensioner released, rotate the crankshaft two (2) complete revolutions. Verify that the TDC marks on crankshaft and timing marks on the camshafts are aligned as shown in .
8. Install lower timing belt cover and tighten fasteners to 9 N·m (80 in. lbs.
9. Install upper timing belt cover and tighten fasteners to 9 N·m (80 in. lbs.
10. Install right engine support bracket. Ensure the power steering pump is properly located in mounting location on bracket. Tighten mount bracket bolts to 61 N·m (45 ft. lbs.)
11. Lower engine into mounting position and install right engine mount through bolt. Tighten bolt to 118 N·m (87 ft. lbs.).
12. Install power steering pump and bracket.
13. Install upper radiator support crossmember
14. Install torque strut bracket to strut tower.
15. Connect ground strap to bracket.
16. Install upper torque strut
17. Connect A/C lines. Evacuate and recharge A/C system
18. Raise vehicle.
19. Connect exhaust system to manifold.
20. Connect A/C pressure switch connector.
21. Install crankshaft damper
22. Install accessory drive belts
23. Install lower torque strut
24. Perform torque strut adjustment procedure
25. Install right splash shield.
26. Install right front wheel.
27. Connect negative cable to battery.

thanks man .it dont sound easy

timing belts on 2.4L engines take about 4 hours for most people(I have it down to 2 hours on my engine...but thats a combination of practice and optimization I have done to make engine work easier)

its not bad at all.
I can do one with my tools at work in under 3 hours.
I know all the steps look intimidating, but after you start, they dwindle away pretty quick.
It wouldnt be as bad in a neon or even the minivans.
Sucks its in a pt cruiser.

Timing best
 

I think I need to do this on my '01 PT. Yesterday my car started making odd sounds that seem to be comong from just under the cam cover...kinda like a belt slapping hard underneath. I have read that these tensioners are known to fail, and my local shop wants like 600 bucks PLUS parts!

I am good with my tools, but this list looks daunting... I know that its hard to detail and guess experience, but is this a do-it-yourself in the driveway project, really?

Help!

Brian

U guys try and move the cover around if you can jsut side to side.
In my srt once in awhile the cover will shift places and rub the belt and make weird sounds too. Try this before doing the belt;)

If you guys decide not to attempt yourself, feel free to contact me. I have a small shop in land o lakes and will give you a great deal on doing the job right. thanks

2 year old post that car is gone traded it for a 92 supercharged fox,thats how i fixed it

damn, i hate it when that happens 8-)

Helpful hints for Timing belt pt cruiser
 

I am half way trough the project in sub freezing temperatures.:-o
Here are a few things that will help you with this project.
-You need a 3 armed puller to get the crank damper wheel off!
-you need a T55 torqx to get the right engine mount bolt off.
-You need a T50 torqx to get the idler pulley off to replace the water pump when you are in there, might as well do that too!
-Get your self a pair of those mechanics gloves, will keep your hands warm and keep them from getting nicked up in the tight spaces.
-The instructions are pretty good. Watch out when you jack up the engine so you don't break the connectors at the top of the engine.
I have a PDF of the manual i would like to post but it is too big to link to here.
Oh, yeah, this is a pretty hard project.....!

a few more tips. I finished the project
 

Here are a few more things that I wanted to pass along as well as a picture of how to line up the timing belt.
When I took off the upper and lower torque struts I noticed they were all torn up and pretty loose. Not being sure if I was going to be able to pull of the project and not having very much money, I completely filled/glued them with regular house hold silicone from the home depot. It has made a huge difference in the performance of the car. The slight hesitation on launch is gone, I can only assume that since the motor does not rotate so much any more i am not getting that hesitation at take off from a green light.

Here is an image of how to line up the cams at the top. The instuctions that cam with my idler pully were wrong! Use these. There is a but if torque on the cams when you but the belt on, that is normal. Follow the instructions after you put the belt on, turn the motor twice, you will see for sure when you have the belt on right. The TDC for the crank is pretty easy. There is a small arrow mark on the block (about 1 oclock) and a small dimple on the crank pully that have to be lined up. Then snake the belt. I found using a silver sharpy to mark the belt to line up the cams worked pretty good.

Putting it all back together was easy. Driving a car that runs better than before it broke, Excellent!

More tips. The three jaw puller needs to push on the bottom of the bolt hole and not on the pulley. OTC makes pulley with shaft to extend down bolt hole while jaws grab on the pulley. Also had to heat the pulley with torch to get off and bake in oven at 450 for 15 minutes to get back on. New belts have not stretched so very hard to get on. Lock tensioner in conpressed position, take up all slack between each pulley, double check marks(because you don't wont to go through this and have them not line up) and if it still won't go on, turn engine over by hand to walk the belt on. The more you take off, the easier this job is. I just finished changing my second timing belt. This is by no means an easy job. Took a full weekend in front yard with all the right tools. Much easier to remove a/c but can be done with it in place. Someone had grea idea to mark belt and pulleys with sharpie.

a full weekend? sounds like you should have just paid a professional. there is no reason it should take more than 4-5 hours.

Timing belt
 

...just finished the project. A little rough for an old geezer, but "it's alive" again. The forum was very helpful. The dealer wanted $1500 including the tensioner mod and the water pump and the other parts.
...but I have a problem: the car runs good, but it idles rough and will stall. I'm sure I have the timing correct. I'm getting an 1193 code (Inlet Air Temp Sensor). I see no breaks in the wires, but I have a tough time believing that the IAT would simply quit at the exact time I replaced the timing belt. I have a standard AMP/OLM meter. I tried this experiment: Started the car, disconnected the IAT, and reconnected it. There was no difference in how the car ran during this experiment--it still idled rough. I pulled the IAT and checked for continuity. The circuit is not complete, but I don't know how the darn thing is supposed to work. Any thoughts out there in Forum Land?