Technical 2.8 JTD Timing belt kit change

GreyNomad · Nov 9, 2020

I know that FreeSpirit, and perhaps more people, have described how they changed a timing belt. Below (if it comes out), is how I did it, and about 13 pics

Changing Timing Belt kit on 2006 Fiat Ducato 2.8 JTD engine
In summary
The Timing Kit, plus Alternator/Water Pump belt, and Air-Con belt had done 84,765 kilometres, in 6 years
The book says to change every 4 years or 120,000
The Timing belt had stretched about between ½ and ¾ of a tooth, it was shiny, the pulleys looked OK, but there was rust on the side face of the lower adjusting pulley
My mode of operation is to drive my motorhome, as though it has sentimental value, (as it is paid for)
I usually potter along at 95 KPH, and only occasionally get up to 110 KPH, where the Australian speed limit allows
Plus I usually drive hundreds of kilometres at a time, so no stop/ start driving, in the Australian country miles scenario
The following is how I done it, but as I am not a Mechanic, (just an old retired Fitter Machinist/Turner), you follow my method, at your own risk

Jack drivers side up, hold on stand and jack
Remove drivers side front wheel (I always use a 18 volt cordless rattle gun, as I torque bolts to 160 Nm)
Remove plastic splash guard shroud
Remove bolt on harmonic balancer (I used 240 volt rattle gun, with a 36mm impact socket, while holding harmonic balancer and air-con belt by hand.Whatever method you use, do not allow engine to turn backwards)
Slacken and remove Aircon belt
Remove harmonic balancer
(I managed to pull the harmonic balancer off, with the Alt/Water Pump belt still attached)
Remove Alt/Water Pump drive belt
Remove front grill
Remove driver side headlight (The knob was hard to remove from the socket. I put vaseline on both when replacing)
Remove battery
Remove battery tray
From top looking behind engine, crack bolts on Alternator
Crack bolts on front engine mount (but do not remove yet)
Remove plastic front injector cover on engine (4 clip)
Loosen engine lifting bracket, at clutch end of engine (stops injector pipes fouling the top cover)
Remove plastic top cover on rocker cover (have to remove oil filler cap)
You can now see the camshaft and top of timing belt
(With the bolt in the crankshaft, turn clockwise with hand tool, until both the camshaft, and crankshaft marks are aligned)
Support the engine sump
Remove the front engine mount, and slide it, to where the battery tray was. (You can not remove the timing cover, without removing mount)
Remove first the top, and then the bottom plastic timing covers
Mark the direction of timing belt, and the two teeth which correspond with the two timing marks, as well as the timing marks, on the cogs of the camshaft, and crankshaft
Special Note from here on do not turn the engine, until the new belt and rollers are fitted
Loosen the adjuster tension bolt - lever the spring adjuster outwards, and fit spacer to keep the tension off the belt
(I used a 13 and 15 mm open end spanners as a spacer, the two spanners together measured 13 mm thick)
Remove the adjustable tension roller
Remove the timing belt
Transfer the marks from the old belt, to the new belt
(My belt was 152 teeth, also from the camshaft mark tooth [which I call zero], there were 78 teeth to the crankshaft marked tooth, counting in a clockwise direction)
Remove the old fixed roller, and fit the new one
(Note there are two rollers in the kit, the larger diameter is the fixed one)
Fit new timing belt, on camshaft mark
(Note I tied the belt in place on camshaft, to stop any jumping of teeth, I obviously removed the this wire, before I turned engine again)
Fit the timing belt on the crankshaft cog, with timing mark aligned
Fit adjustable tension roller, but leave the locking bolt loose
Remove the spacer from the spring adjuster, to give the belt some tension
Double check both the timing marks, and remove the fine wire holding the timing belt onto the camshaft
Turn the crankshaft until you see the belt do at least 2 complete turns.
(This is firstly to allow the tensioner to remove any slack, and secondly to ensure no piston/valve touching)
Tension adjuster pulley bolt, to 30 Nm (22 Ft Lb)? It was much higher than this, so I tensioned it by hand
Remove crankshaft bolt, used for turning crankshaft
(I used a 18 volt cordless rattle gun, while holding the timing belt, to stop the engine turning backwards. Whatever method you use, it is important not to allow the engine to turn backwards)
Replace first bottom, and then top, plastic timing covers
Fit harmonic balancer, tension bolt to 300 Nm
(I used my 18 volt cordless rattle gun (at 260 Nm), as my 240 volt rattle gun goes up to 460 Nm, which is too high)
Note that there is no keyway on this harmonic balancer, it relies on the tension of the bolt, to drive Alternator/Water Pump/Aircon
Slacken off Alternator and fit new Alternator/Water Pump belt, and then tension it
(I had to use a knuckle head ratchet to loosen the lower Alternator slide arm pivot bolt)
Slacken off Air-Con adjuster, fit new belt, and then tension it
(Holding the Alternator belt, I hit the socket bar with a hammer, for a bit more torque on the crankshaft bolt)
Fit the front engine mounting, (I had to use a breaker bar and pipe to initially crack the nuts/bolts, as they were very tight)
Fit top plastic tappet cover
Replace/re-tension engine lifting bracket
Fit front injector cover, (4 clips) and replace any hoses you may have had to remove
Fit battery tray
Fit battery
Fit headlight
Fit front grill
Remove engine sump support
Fit front wheel
Remove chassis support and jack
Take it for a test run, (I went 34 kilometres at 110 KPH, with Air-Con and lights, switched on)
Double check the Alternator/Water Pump, and the Air-Con belts tension
Fit splash guard shroud

Technical 2.8 JTD Timing belt kit change

Currently reading:
Technical 2.8 JTD Timing belt kit change

GreyNomad

Patron member

Similar threads

Technical 2.8 JTD Timing belt kit change

Currently reading: Technical 2.8 JTD Timing belt kit change

GreyNomad

Patron member

Similar threads

Currently reading:
Technical 2.8 JTD Timing belt kit change