I cannot seem to get a new timing belt onto my 2.3 for a 94 ranger. There is a guard on the bottom of the harmonic balancer that I cannot get the belt past. Do I need to take the harmonic balancer off? I have been trying to get it off but I cannot get the middle bolt off. Is the middle bolt opposite threaded? Do you think I'll need a puller? Any help/pics would be greatly appreciated.

Patrick

 

Yes, you have to take the harmonic balancer off.

No, it's not reverse threaded.

I always need a puller when I remove mine.




Allen

 

Woot, thank you for the fast reply. Very good answers. How do you get the center bolt off? With the puller?

 

Put your truck in 5th gear (if its a stick), apply the e-brake and have someone press down on the brake pedal. Use a cheat pipe on the ratchet, you will probably need one.

 

It did not work. I don't have an ebrake but I put some wood behind the tires and hit the regular brakes. I had a crap load of torque but the balancer turned anyway, even though the tires were not spining. I tried an impact at 100 psi. I'm going to try a little bigger compressor soon. I think I'm going to end up paying someone else to do it. :(

 

That must mean you have an automatic trans or you didn't put it in gear, right? Because if your engine is in neutral and you apply the brakes plus put wood behind the tires and try to get the pulley off of course your pulley is going to spin. If your truck is an auto I guess it wouldn't hurt any thing if you put it in third or whatever and hit the brakes and tried it again. Also put WD-40 in there to loosen things up a bit. Hope that helps dude.

 

I have a manual, but my brakes need a new cylinder so the tires were still spinning even when applying the brakes. I don't have an e brake so I didnt really have the stopping power apparently. After I put the wood behind the tires they stopped rolling. ( I could hear a rubbing noise when the brakes were failing to hold the tires still) With the wood, I was sure the brakes were not failing. But with great force, 4 foot cheater bar bow the 1/2 drive breaker bar force, the cylinder would still turn. I think i was slipping the trans.
Anyway, now I'm going to try it again but I'm also going to stop the flywheel. If the flywheel has holes in it I will slide somthing through one. If not then I will try vice grips on the fly wheel. I really don't want to jam the teeth up.
If all that don't work then a shop down the road said they would take the bolt off for ten bucks if the radiator was out of the way. They said they are ALMOST positive that their impact will take it off.

 

I believe the bolt is 22mm.

That's a good idea to put a large screwdriver or crow bar on the flexplate so the engine will not turn over. Use a 1/2" drive ratchet and a long breaker bar, like the one you said should work fine.



Allen

 

Yeah man, just get the starter off and jam a good sized pry bar in the teeth of the flywheel and have someone else turn the bolt.

 

So I tow my truck up to the shop and their air tools take the bolt right out no problem. (Edit)*I now want air tools.* So then we towed the truck back to the house and busted out the the harmonic balancer puller. No luck, now it wont come off. There is a pointed cap that goes on the puller bolt. As I sit here and write this I'm thinking that maybe I'm not supposed to use the cap. But I'm worried about messing up my threads. (Edit) *The washer was still in the balancer while I was writing this* Ya, maybe the cap is just pushing onto the balancer which would not pull anything. So I guess I'll go out and try to pull the balancer without the pointed cap.

Edit This was done easily by loosening the center bolt but not taking it out. Use the puller with the bolt in the hole screwed in but not tight at all. You'll need some play for the balancer to pop off.

 

We got the harmonic balancer off. I have another question though. I have read about setting the timing, so I'm pretty sure I can handle the crankshaft and the camshaft. But my friend says I don't have a rotor, only coils. So my question is, does turning the timing gear until the rotor points to 1 still apply to me?
BTW, you guys have helped me a lot. So thank you very much!

I am pretty surprised at how naive I can be. I actually tried really hard to get the balancer off twice. Both times the washer was still in the balancer. So I was pretty much bending the puller. Then of course as soon as I took the washer out, the balancer popped right off. So Happy.

 

A friend at work told me that if I don't have a rotor then I don't have to wory about the oil pump position. There is a sensor somwhere. I'm guessing the sensor he is talking about is the one behind the harmonic balancer. Any input?

 

you're lucky, on the 94 you only have to worry about the crank and cam pulleys. Just get the crank at TDC and get the cam lined up correctly and then get the belt on. make sure you spin the motor over by hand at least 2 times once you get the tensioner locked down and check the timing marks again to be sure it is where its supposed to be before you put things back together.

 

Yay! I finished it! It runs really great now. Better than it ever has. I bought the nicer tensioner like another member suggested. Thanks for everyone's help, I really appreciate it.
time for bed, I must be up at 5.

 

Glad you got it done, good job!

What tensioner did you buy?




Allen

 

Car Quest. It was 40 dollars The one on my truck was two pieces of metal pressed together for the wheel. The one I bought is one machined piece. I wonder if the one that was on my truck already is from ford?

 

I like your web page TireIron..

 

Nice man, I am glad to hear its runnig good.

 

Hey all, Im new, just found this forum
I have a 93 Ranger 4cyl, singe cam. Im working on replacing the timing belt.
I can not find the timing mark for the cam sprocket. The manual I have says its on the timing cover I dont see it anywhere on the front or back. Not sure if it broke off or if I have the right cover. Is it around 6:00?
Can someone PLEASE post a pic.
Thanks,
Jason

 

its on the back cover, i forget exactly where on it though, it might be about 4-5 o'clock

 

So you can see it through the hole in the cover? I cleaned my cover and cant see anything. I guess I need a new cover. Anyone have a pic?