let me get this straight. The only engine mount needed to be removed is the one on the passenger side? Or do I also have to remove the front and rear mounts?

 

Passenger side only. If for some unforseen reason you need to raise/lower the motor more than usual, the front motor mount through bolt can be removed to facilitate this. I think the only time this is necessary though thinking back is on a 2g DSM with a 6 bolt swap. There was no need on the EVO, in my case.

 

I am about to start this job but have one very important question.

In the maintenance manual it states in 11B-8 picture #2 "caution, never remove the timing belt with an piston at TDC. If a piston is at TDC, the exhaust valves of the cylinder are pushed by the exhaust cams, compressing the valve springs. If the belt is removed under this condition, the sprocket will be turned in the reverse direction by the force of the springs, incurring risk of injury to person."

It says to set the timing mark of the exhaust camshaft sprocket to a point about one tooth before the TDC of the no.1 cylinder pistion on compression stroke. I'm confused because in 11A-52 it says to put the no.1 cylinder at TDC of its compression stroke.

someone please clarify this.

 

Just put it to TDC with the marks lined up. The two cams will spring a bit when belt is released, but it's not exactly like releasing a suspension spring. Sounds like a disclaimer to prevent stupid people from chopping a leg off during a tbelt change. Dealer techs aren't always that bright...

 

followed this write up and everything worked out great! very easy install went ahead and did cams @ the same time...

 

I followed the write up and soaked up all of its advise. I now have some updated information that is "VITAL" and very informative.

UPDATED INFO: As your are putting on the belt the easiest way I found (through time and time again working on this car) follow this sequence.

1) start on the crankshaft with position 1 tooth away counterclockwise from TDC.

2) put oil pump pully right on TDC route the belt as tight as she will go around that (very tricky try not to move it, this is what the screwdriver in the block is for.)

3) route up past the idler pulley to the exghaust cam as tight as she will go and put a big black paper clip on it for refference.

4) route as tight as she will go around the intake cam and also put a paper clip on it for refference.

5) pull the belt over and on the tensioner pulley which is touching the pin on the hydraulic tensioner.(at the loosest position would be the 2 holes facing down.)

6) as you atempt to tighten the marks while holding the tensioner down on the pin pull it untill the pin in the hydraulic tensioner starts to move and check if it moves in and out freely. once it does your there dont move! have an assistant hold that same very easy position while you get on top and tighten that down with a 14mm hand wrench or a special rachet wrench if you have it. Your crank pulley that was one tooth away should now be exactly at TDC when you tighten it.

7) DOUBLE CHECK ALL YOUR MARKS! I cannot stress how important that is. make sure your on TDC all the way around. Done!

8) Lastly rotate the crank around 5-7 times (this simulates starting the car.) Your marks should still be all at TDC and the pin in the hydraulic tensioner should come out freely. if it doesnt wait 10min and if it still doesnt you have to do the whole sequence over again. I did it around 3 times my first shot. I know it sucks thats why i'm writing this for you.


NOTE: now before you do steps 1-7. heres a little tip I used that really helped out in the holding position for TDC on the CAMS. For those of you who have only Shoe strings and wrenches here you go. have an assistant hold the exhaust cam in TDC and wrap some (military if you have em) boot strings to the fram of your car. Youll find a very convenient hole where you'll wanna wrap the strings around to tie down very tightly. For the intake cam do the same and wrap the strings around the wrench to the brace of the car. Now you will have the exhaust and intake cams at TDC all the time worry free and hands free.

 

wish this thread had some pics.

 

Interesting NOTE section.

I could add to this as I just did mine but I do not feel like typing that much. This thread does have pictures.

 

sorry, i meant for the new NOTES section.

 

I used to zip tie the belt to the cam gears with them aligned, before even begining to *** around with the bottom end of the motor. This way you take cam to cam alignment out of the picture and you can focus on the oil pump sprocket and crank sprocket. Naturally you'll have to work clockwise from the exhaust cam, since the tensioning is done between the crank and intake cam, so all the slack has to be on that side.

Another great option for holding the cam gears in alignment is the tool that was actually made to do that job specifically. It's about 50 bucks, and worth every penny if you do a lot of tbelt jobs or cam swaps, along with the tensioner tool. This is what I use now. The zip tie trick works just as well though and is much cheaper and readily available.

This job is very similar to doing the same on the DSMs. Since those cars have been out for ~18 years, people should feel free to look into some of the writeups and pics for that process. www.vfaq.com is an excellent resource for the tbelt job and will give you an idea of what things roughly will look like on the EVO.

 

DSM's rotate the opposite direction, don't they?

 

Depends on how you look at it. Looking at the tbelt side of the motor, though on opposite sides of the car, they both spin clockwise. Idler on the right, tensioner taking up slack on the left. I was able to do the tbelt swap on the EVO for the first time without even thinking about it. Same exact process. Even the trick with the oil pump sprocket falling toward the mark to set the phase correctly works. Tensioner gap is nearly identical. Etc.

 

so what is the recomended toruque on the ricipricating canooter valve??/ Nice write up.
Later
DJ

 

Thanks for the write up guys. Just did this 2day. I have one small problem...
I have oil shooting out of either the oil pan or from the timing belt area !!!
Anyone have this happen before?

The car runs fine, but oil is shooting out of the oil pan or the FMS ?
I think I put too much weight on the pan to support the engine, with the
motor mount off. I had no leaks prior to my T-belt change BTW.

Thanks,

Brian

 

If you dented the bottom of the oil pan, pull it off and fix or replace it. I squashed the pan on my 2g at one point and crankwalked the motor in 20 miles (oil pump pickup gets partially blocked off). I haven't seen inside an EVO pan, but I doubt it's much different.