How To Replace A Timing Belt (20/25/26) Pics!

[51NNA]

Hey all, this is a guide i made a year or so back when i first put a RB25 in my R32, i made the guide for Charge Racing, thought id share it with you guys too, enjoy.

[roonVR]

awesome guide

[Little_lamb91]

Can't wait to try it out for myself with my bf tomorrow on his 180sx!!

[babyskyline]

good guide...nice and straight forward for those who haven't done anything like this before.

[WYTSKY]

Excellent guide mate.

never done this as I have been too scared incase I stuff up the timing.

Just to clarify - the tenisioner, when you put it back on you just simply thread the nut onto the bolt by hand, put the belt on and then use a hex key to slowly tighten it until there is a firm amount of preasure on the belt and the nut will tighten itself up? or what did I miss?

[51NNA]

Sorry for the late reply, I forgot i posted in this section!

Excellent guide mate.

never done this as I have been too scared incase I stuff up the timing.

Just to clarify - the tenisioner, when you put it back on you just simply thread the nut onto the bolt by hand, put the belt on and then use a hex key to slowly tighten it until there is a firm amount of preasure on the belt and the nut will tighten itself up? or what did I miss?

Once the belt is at the correct tension you'll have to tighten the nut.

[ACTIVE-LSD]

Hi mate thanks for your time making the guide as this will be very helpful. if it's not too much to ask, are you able to further elaborate on step 12 for a newbie?

cheers

[Samuel Leonard]

step 12 help.

you tension the belt with an allen key in the tensioner (as it shows in the picture for step 12) and then tighten the bolt that holds the tensioner in that tensioned position. you then turn the crank over 2 full rotations and check the timing marks are all lined up correctly. once you are happy with the timing marks (on both the cam pulleys and crank) you check the tension on the belt.

a quick note, if you go past the timing marks, do not turn the crank backward (counter clockwise) to line the timing marks up again as it moves the slack to the idler pulley side of the belt not the tensioner side (tensioner side is where you check belt tension) and can make you think the belt is tight when in actual fact, the slack will be between the crank pulley and the exhaust pulley. if this doesn't make sense to you, just remember, do not check the timing marks or belt tension after rotating the engine counter clockwise at all. if you go slightly past the timing marks, continue to rotate clockwise another 2 full rotations until they line up again (never rotate backwards), then check the tension.

only then once you're happy with the timing and tension after rotating clockwise you should do the final tension on the tensioner pulley bolt to ensure it will not loosen off over time and lose belt tension.

[reeceo21]

Very good guide. I was quoted 400 + from mechanics but thanks to your guide ill have a crack myself. ill also do the water pump while im there

[MatthewT85]

hi in the final step, says 12 but im assuming its 13, it says to use threadlocker on the crank bolt, going through the pics it doesnt look like its ever taken out...

[B-rice]

So its the same as R34GTT i thought you needed some sort of puller to get the balancer out

[89CAL]

hi in the final step, says 12 but im assuming its 13, it says to use threadlocker on the crank bolt, going through the pics it doesnt look like its ever taken out...

The crank bolt is removed to get the balancer off then was put back in to bar the engine over. Would then have been taken out again, loctite-ed and re-installed after balancer was put on. Here is a screenshot from the workshop manual:

It's a bit hard to understand but basically you need to install/torque the centred idler, leave the eccentric idler loose, bar the engine over CLOCKWISE (the most important bit) two rotations or more, then just use the allen key to hold it in the position its in while torqueing up the bolt for the idler

[34GeeTeeTee]

Also just a quick note guys, check your balancer condition when its out, mine broke and caused an oil leak etc only a few thousand kms after it was done so have a look for damage, there is pics of the old and new in my build thread somewhere but i am too lazy to find them for you lol

[DaHyp3]

I was thinking about attempting this myself on my '34 but there are too many things

that go can wrong for my liking. Maybe some more clarification might help. As in,

did you use a specific tool to re-press the harmonic balancer back on? How did

you stop the engine from turning to loosen and tighten the crank bolt?

[B-rice]

the engine is turning when im trying to undo the bolt how do you stop this?

[B-rice]

dont worry i put it in 5th gear and then did it, and it worked. Doesnt work in first or second and third not sure why but its doesnt.

[51NNA]

Sorry for not replying guys, I've been away for ahwile!

I was thinking about attempting this myself on my '34 but there are too many things
that go can wrong for my liking. Maybe some more clarification might help. As in,
did you use a specific tool to re-press the harmonic balancer back on? How did
you stop the engine from turning to loosen and tighten the crank bolt?

I used a pry-bar to remove it, there are tool's made for removing the balancer but fitting it doesn't require anything; just make sure its pushed on as far as it can go and do up the bolt (Tight).

[ACTIVE-LSD]

hi thanks for the guide. just to clarify when you turn the crank by hand clockwise for 2 revolutions and it all lines up, it basically means the engine is in TDC (top dead centre) right? therefore you can tighten everything, re-assemble and start engine with keys?

[ACTIVE-LSD]

sorry got another question. if you do stuff up the timing and hit a valve while turning crank "by hand", how do you rectify issue? do you unbolt tensioner and remove belt immediately to start over?

[B-rice]

If you have lined them up and turned it twice yes you can start the car. If you have a normal belt i dont see why you want to start the car unless if you have a Gates timing belt and you want to hear if it whirrrs. To instruct you safetly line them up all of them, tension it then turn it twice. Plus if you want to start it you need to have the CAS back in or else you might screw up your tune.

if im wrong may someone correct me but this is the procedure ive done.