Hey guys,
I hope this isn't a topic that's been covered to death before -- I did a search and couldn't come up with much. I haven't posted in a while, but I'm working on changing the timing belt on my 96 Mystique 2.0L I4. I've pulled everything off and I'm in the process of reassembling everything. I was wondering about a spring that's supposed to attach to the timing belt tensioner. The Haynes manual says that if it's the first time the belt has been changed (this is the first time) that I need to get a tensioner spring and a pin to attach it to. However, the Gates kit I bought doesn't include the spring, and I cannot find it anywhere.
Is this a pre-98 versus post-98 thing? Do I need this spring? If so, any advice on obtaining it?
Thanks much!
Sam
PS Also, is there a good walkthrough somewhere for pre-98 Zetecs? I've noticed that the Haynes often confuses the different styles of the Zetec engine, and the walkthrough video I've been using, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTHscKUeopg , is clearly for a different style. For example, the motor mount is not part of the timing belt cover as shown in the video; I don't have the VCT as shown in the video; my tensioner does not have a tab, but rather a hole in a bracket that fits over the timing belt locator pin. The Haynes is equally confusing. I did find a good walkthrough by searching the forums here, but it's for post-98 Contours.
PPS I have had trouble lining up the camshafts with the bar ("service tool") that gets inserted at the back (driver side) end of the camshafts. I do not have the hexagonal sections that accept a 1" wrench. What I ended up doing was, after removing the belt, moving the camshafts by moving the sprocket by hand until they lined up. However, after cranking the engine one turn, the bar does not fit in the slots in the camshafts. It's reeeeallly close, but not quite. Should I worry about this? (PPS I just realized I might have an alignment bar for a post-98 car, and it might not fit perfectly in my camshafts).
I hope this isn't a topic that's been covered to death before -- I did a search and couldn't come up with much. I haven't posted in a while, but I'm working on changing the timing belt on my 96 Mystique 2.0L I4. I've pulled everything off and I'm in the process of reassembling everything. I was wondering about a spring that's supposed to attach to the timing belt tensioner. The Haynes manual says that if it's the first time the belt has been changed (this is the first time) that I need to get a tensioner spring and a pin to attach it to. However, the Gates kit I bought doesn't include the spring, and I cannot find it anywhere.
Is this a pre-98 versus post-98 thing? Do I need this spring? If so, any advice on obtaining it?
Thanks much!
Sam
PS Also, is there a good walkthrough somewhere for pre-98 Zetecs? I've noticed that the Haynes often confuses the different styles of the Zetec engine, and the walkthrough video I've been using, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTHscKUeopg , is clearly for a different style. For example, the motor mount is not part of the timing belt cover as shown in the video; I don't have the VCT as shown in the video; my tensioner does not have a tab, but rather a hole in a bracket that fits over the timing belt locator pin. The Haynes is equally confusing. I did find a good walkthrough by searching the forums here, but it's for post-98 Contours.
PPS I have had trouble lining up the camshafts with the bar ("service tool") that gets inserted at the back (driver side) end of the camshafts. I do not have the hexagonal sections that accept a 1" wrench. What I ended up doing was, after removing the belt, moving the camshafts by moving the sprocket by hand until they lined up. However, after cranking the engine one turn, the bar does not fit in the slots in the camshafts. It's reeeeallly close, but not quite. Should I worry about this? (PPS I just realized I might have an alignment bar for a post-98 car, and it might not fit perfectly in my camshafts).