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Timing Belt Newbness w/ a sprinkle of Clutch Idiocy

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Shaggy_357

15+ Year Contributor
199
0
May 30, 2004
Lawton, Oklahoma
OK, so to start things off, I just wanted to say that I've searched around and even looked at every 4g63 related video on YouTube LOL.

I did a timing belt job on my car a few weeks back, I botched the timing (off by two teeth...no bent valves, Danke Gott) and had to take everything apart again. I managed to break my new auto-tensioner and went back to the old one. (Mind you it was still tight, but I can compress it with my channel locks with a bit of effort...it still sits in spec according to the drill bit method) I've rotated the tensioner pulley to VFAQ spec, everything is in time and it's tight all the way around but when I start it, the belt seems to have slack between the cam gears as I rev it. Between 1k-3k I can see the belt rising and falling with the throttle. It wobbles maybe 1/2-3/4 inches. I know the belt is supposed to have some slack after sitting, but I don't recall if it's allowable to have some while running. I've run it twice, haven't driven it, but it stays in time just fine. I just want to see if I'm suffering the paranoia of a previous timing belt victim or if this is in fact abnormal.


While I'm exercising all my newb demons, I put an ACT 2600 in the same time I was doing my timing belt, it's got about 200 miles on it. I did NOT step the fidanza flywheel I installed. (I was told it was unnecessary since the flywheel was new) When I'm driving, the engagement is RIGHT off the floor and the tranny seems notchier than before. I've bleed the thing for days and it made a SLIGHT difference, but the shifting still isn't where it was prior to the new clutch. I've also adjusted the shifter per the Tech article here and the VFAQ. What gives? Is this a 2600-type issue or was I a retard not to step the flywheel when I put it in?


Sorry for the novella guys, I'm just really tired of banging my head against the steering wheel LOL.
 
Have you adjusted the pedal travel?

At the top of the clutch pedal, there is a threaded rod from the master cylinder that threads into the pedal. It's secured by a nut (I think 10mm). Loosen the nut, and you can adjust where the pedal engages by screwing it farther into the pedal, or back out. For some reason, I've drawn a blank on which way you need to adjust it to move the clutch engagement away from the floor.
 
Forgot to mention that, I have adjusted the pedal to the max it would allow me while activating "the button". I did the adjustment using the Jack Transmission video as a guide. Thanks for the reply :thumb:
 
^^ Good advice on the clutch adjustment. Sounds like all you need to do is adjust the rod.

Regarding the tbelt - If you can compress the tensioner THROW IT AWAY!!! You shouldn't be able to compress that thing short of putting it in a vice.
 
That's what I was thinking with the tensioner, I just wanted some more experienced input on it. Now, I'm no hulk but I have a fair bit of grip strength (insert joke here), so i just wanted to double-check. The tensioner has an unknown amount of miles on it, so I have to assume it's been on the car for all 100k miles of the engines life. In other words, I'm trying to be cheap where I shouldn't LOL

I'll get the tensioner ordered along with the proper tool to adjust the tension. While I'm thinking about it, does anyone know if any of the auto shops rent those or something I can use?
 
While I'm thinking about it, does anyone know if any of the auto shops rent those or something I can use?

Your best bet is to call around to some local machine / specialized hardware shops and ask for hardened steel metric rod (8mm x 1.25). Grab a few matching nuts and have them welded to the rod (most muffler shops will weld it for free). Should cost you ~$5.
 
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