TeamSwift

Just wanted to say, I am actually in the middle of doing a timing belt on a Mazda Miata as well as my Swift.

The Miata, which is fun to drive but put together idiotically, is making me appreciate Suzukis more than ever. What other front drive car will let you change the belt without removing a motor mount?

For purely superficial reasons, you must remove the whole valve cover before you can even inspect the Miata's belt (12+fasteners right there) and see the cam marks. You must MUST drain the coolant because the thermostat housing is in between the belts. I will drain the coolant on my GT, but only because I plan to also replace the waterpump.

I have a RWD Volvo too, which is also satisfying and relatively easy to work on, but wrenching on the Swift is the best. I can't wait to get it back on the road as the belt looks like it actually had a small amount of stretch at 60k, so it should pick up a little power when everything is tight

Cheers!

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Spanish Inquisition Racing chip burning service--build yourself a custom chip!
http://www.teamswift.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=57216

Doing the same thing on my 85 Chevy Sprint. Very easy to do, unless a step is missed.....

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Dale

1985 Chevy Sprint Mk1 G10 5 Speed Sky Blue

The irony,

"Without loosening the motor mount"

Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to "stuck crank bolt horror".

Oh well, still not the car's fault. Appears some very reputable DC area mechanics are in to putting a bunch of loctite on crank bolts and cam sprocket bolts before torquing them to oblivion

Modern cordless tools are amazing however--1200ft/lbs of breaking torque is no joke

I'll be sad to return that badboy to Home Depot, but I just don't need it for anything else.

Now I just have to figure out how to pull the crank sprocket, because that's apparently stuck pretty good too. I believe some of this is my fault, because I installed and underdrive pulley that mangled, and required subsequent modification of, my timing cover that made it less weatherproof than one might prefer. Corrosion...

Ah well, the difference the pulley makes is noticeable so i guess I'll live with my poor decisions.

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Spanish Inquisition Racing chip burning service--build yourself a custom chip!
http://www.teamswift.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=57216

I was worried about my keyway because the sprocket was so hard to remove--surprised the FSM makes no mention of a puller and I am not sure if you could get one to grab it anyway.

I used the pulley bolts and a washer to pull it without having to beat on anything. That's a lug nut in there against the washer--when I pushed that in the whole way I swapped it for a socket. This took way longer than it should have, but it's satisfying to get everything apart without doing any damage.

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Spanish Inquisition Racing chip burning service--build yourself a custom chip!
http://www.teamswift.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=57216

Good thinking . I never had to do that on any of my cars since all my cars have AC. The opposite is an issue with AC equipped cars , loosened pulley bolt and destroyed key . I have few cranks to prove it and to be reminded to periodically re-tighten that bolt to specs.

Thats just plain clever!

Why thank you

What was less clever was using fairly old yellow Gasgacinch on the water pump on a cold day. I try to take my time and never use "shortcuts", but, while I wasn't perfectly happy with the thinness or evenness of the coat of the stuff I put on, it should have been as good enough. Sometimes one has to just move on and not be so anal about everything that the job is never finished--and I had to finish it by a deadline, which I hate.

The time to stop at the parts store for a new can was not in the cards...

But I was right to be worried about it, apparently, because while it held for more than 4 hours of high speed driving with no issues, it suddenly failed while pulling hard up hill a long way from home.

So I got to pull the belt off and do half the job again in a parking lot

Good thing I brought some tools and had some friends near by to help me pick up supplies.

Use the red/brown aviation stuff, not the yellow stuff, and make sure your can is not 1000 years old or cold...

_________________

Spanish Inquisition Racing chip burning service--build yourself a custom chip!
http://www.teamswift.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=57216