tigre76

Just updating my experience of changing the timing belt about 3 years ago.


If anyone needs anymore info on this let me know as I have replaced the cambelt on my ford focus 1.6 zetec 02 plate.

Before we start its worth mentioning that you should replace the tensioner idler gear at the same time.

Please be aware that if your engine has the black top cover it has no timming marks on the pulleys or key ways and requires some special tools which includes a crank shaft locking pin and a plate to lock the two cam shafts, otherwise you have no way of telling if the timing is right.

If you search on the internet for ford focus cam locking tool your find one. It consist of a flat bar which can only go on one way on the right hand side of the 2 cam shafts and a pin which screws in on the lower back of the engine into a hole where a bolt needs to be removed first.

You will feel the crank touch the pin that you screwed in when you turn it by hand and that will tell you its set in the right position.

Also i found out that my cam sprockets were the plastic/bakelite type which can break if you insert a bar/screwdriver through the holes to hold them while undoing the bolt. I found that a spanner can be used on the cam shafts them self's to enable you to undo the bolts, same applies when doing them back up.

Another thing I had to tackle was the bottom pulley bolt, only way I could remove it was with a desent high impact driver which I borrowed from a m8.