# Changing timing belt on 1995 3.0



## burnt03 (Mar 22, 2005)

Pulled the truck into the garage tonight, started on the timing belt replacement. It's not my daily driver so don't have to get it done quickly (thankfully, I'm painfully slow at this stuff).

Anyways, couple questions....

1) Haynes says to "remove air filter box" and "remove rocker covers" and "loosen rocker arms". Is any of that really necessary? Going to watch it again but don't remember seeing that on this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvMaBZXgSkA

2) Got the engine set at TDC (pointer pointing at 0 deg mark on pulley and rotor pointing at #1 spark plug spot). Have an air impact I can use to pull off the crank bolt... will the engine stay at TDC if I put it in gear?

I'll probably have more as I go along, thanks!


----------



## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

There's no need to remove the air box nor remove the rocker covers or touch the rocker arms. When you impact the crank pulley bolt off, it might budge the crank a little, but not enough to make any difference. One of the nice things about VG timing belts is that there are marks on the belt and an arrow to help install the belt. The arrow points to the front of the vehicle and the dashed line mates with the timing "dot" on the right bank cam, or "passenger side," cam sprocket. The two solid lines will mate with the dots on the left bank cam sprocket and crank sprocket. Make sure you replace the timing tensioner pulley. When I do this job, I also replace the water pump, thermostat, front cam and front crank seals and drive belts.


----------



## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

When you loosen the crank pulley bolt, don't remove the pulley just yet. If the TDC pointer moves off the 0 mark, take the tranny out of gear and manually turn the crankshaft pulley bolt with a long ratchet bar so the engine is back to the 0 mark. Keep the tranny in neutral and start replacing the belt.


----------



## burnt03 (Mar 22, 2005)

smj999smj said:


> There's no need to remove the air box nor remove the rocker covers or touch the rocker arms. When you impact the crank pulley bolt off, it might budge the crank a little, but not enough to make any difference. One of the nice things about VG timing belts is that there are marks on the belt and an arrow to help install the belt. The arrow points to the front of the vehicle and the dashed line mates with the timing "dot" on the right bank cam, or "passenger side," cam sprocket. The two solid lines will mate with the dots on the left bank cam sprocket and crank sprocket. Make sure you replace the timing tensioner pulley. When I do this job, I also replace the water pump, thermostat, front cam and front crank seals and drive belts.


Thanks smj. Have the water pump, belts and thermostat ready to go, didn't even think about the seals. Are they pretty easy to get off?


----------



## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Difficulty of the seals will depend on how hard it is to get the crank sprocket off and how much the seals have hardened over the years. I spray carb cleaner on them to help soften them up. Be careful when using the seal puller to not scratch the cam or crank where the seal rides against.


----------



## burnt03 (Mar 22, 2005)

Still slowly putting along as I get the time. Got the timing covers and balancer (?) off the crankshaft. Pulled the water pump and the timing belt off. Timing belt was VERY loose, glad I decided to do this now 

Cam sprockets look OK now (the passenger side looked to be off a tooth before I rotated it back a bit... what problems might that cause?) but can't find the mark on the casing around the crank. Looks close compared to the wide shot from the Haynes manual but....?




























Any comments?

Thanks again!


----------



## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

The marks on the rear belt cover usually don't line up exactly with the dots on the cam sprockets. It really doesn't matter since the new belt will have the lines on it to time the cam and crank sprockets. Just mate the lines on the belt to the timing dots on the sprockets like I mentioned earlier. Loosen the nut on the tensioner and let it take up the slack; turn the right bank cam sprocket (will be the one on your left if you are looking at the front of the engine) counter-clockwise a few teeth to remove the rest of the slack in the belt. Tighten the nut on the tensioner to approximately 35 ft/lbs. Now, turn the right cam sprocket clockwise a hair. With your thumb and forefinger, you should be able to twist the belt 90 degrees at the span between the two cam gears. If you can't, the belt is too tight and you will hear a whining noise when your done and the engine is running. If you can go more than 90 degrees, the adjustment is too loose.


----------



## burnt03 (Mar 22, 2005)

Thanks again smj. Starting putting it back together tonight after being out of town for the weekend 

One more for you.... if the timing is even a little bit off with the interference engine, I shouldn't be able to turn it over, correct? (valves hitting pistons, etc)?


----------



## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

If your timing markers on the belt are lined up with the timing marks on the sprockets like they are supposed to be, it won't be out of time, even a little bit! On VG's, usually there is enough clearance to turn the engine over by hand with it out of time, but when an engine is running and pistons are traveling slightly more up the bore, then interference is a bigger issue. Even at that, if you had one of the sprocket's out of time by a tooth, the engine would still run and not bend a valve, but it would run a little rough. The fact that they do put the alignment lines on the timing belt make the job a whole lot easier!


----------



## burnt03 (Mar 22, 2005)

All lined up, should be good to go 

Have to head to the junkyard and grab a new fan (mine had a bunch of cracks in it) and I'll be good as new!


----------



## burnt03 (Mar 22, 2005)

Got it fired up last night and took it for a cruise, seemed to run pretty much the same as before the timing belt was changed.

Had a friend come over after work with his timing light today to double check, set it at 15 deg BTDC and took it for another cruise.

I've always had a bit of hesitation on acceleration, especially when going up hills but now it seems to be stumbling even worse than yesterday. I guess resetting the timing might've caused it? 

Fuel filter is newer (Jan of this year), not sure on plugs and wires. I guess that would be a good first step?


----------



## burnt03 (Mar 22, 2005)

Alright, checked the timing again and it had dropped to below 0 deg. When we tried it the first time, didn't let the truck get up to operating temperature and I guess that must've been the result. 

Borrowed the light, set it again with the truck warmed up and now it runs like a top, even better than before 

Thanks again for all the replies!!


----------



## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Yes, engine should be warmed up, shut off, TPS unplugged, restart, timing and base idle adjusted, shut off, reconnect TPS and restart is the summarized version of the procedure. Adjusting the timing 3 degrees over factory recommendation usually "wakes up" most of the Nissan engines a little.


----------



## 1Wrench (Nov 4, 2014)

I am really grateful for this conversation. I am about to do a major tune up on my 95 3.0 hardbody as well, to include water pump, seals and timing belt, adjusting idler etc. Any further advice greatly appreciated.


----------



## Amosiam (Nov 23, 2014)

SMJ,

I performed the timing belt replacement procedure and I have one question. After placing the timing belt on with the crank at TDC on #1 compression and the cams aligned with the dots to the dimples, 3 white marks aligned properly on all three gears with the arrow on the belt facing the front of the car with the dampner tightend. My observation is that when I turn the engine over the white marks don't line back up with the marks on the gears when at TDC. If I where to turn the engine over a hundred or so times eventually the marks on the belt would once again align with the dimples when at TDC. But everything is in time with the crank!

Would this be correct and the marks on the belt just used as a reference for installation of the timing belt only??

Thanks,
Amos


----------

