1.4 cambelt change

[Stevecvo]

I live in Portugal and have just bought a 1999 1.4 Puma. I was under the impression that the cambelt had been changed but it now seems doubtful and I need to do it be on the safe side.

As we don't have manuals in English here has anyone got details of the procedure and pictures. I have done cambelt changes in the past but I have never worked on a zetec engine. I would be grateful for any tips or advice

 

[Midnight Blue]

I think the 1.4 is 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first so don't panic. The 1.7 was changed to 5 years or 80,000 miles, which ever comes first.

 

[nippydee]

Olá e bem vindos ao site Stevecvo! I have a 1.4 and it was changed on 10 years, just before the 100,000 miles at 98k. Goodluck with your car! Cuide-se!

 

[pumapilot]

As with all Pumas, the Ford cambelt is advised, as the cambelt tensioner and stretch bolt are provided.

Also buy a new Auxillary belt fit it during the cambelt change, the old belt has to be removed to change the cambelt, also have the rocker gasket replaced too, again this can be bought in advance of the cambelt change, if it is not changed, then you will probably need it changed later on.

 

[Dal]

As we don't have manuals in English here has anyone got details of the procedure and pictures. I have done cambelt changes in the past but I have never worked on a zetec engine. I would be grateful for any tips or advice

We don't have manuals here either

As it doesn't have the VCT it should be a bit simpler and straightforward compared to the 1.7.

I think the 1.4 is 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first so don't panic...

He's got a 1999 1.4, so 10 years is up is it not?

 

[Stevecvo]

Obrigado nippydee. Agora sinto-me benvindo ao site.

Has anyone personal experience of changing the belt? There does not look much room to get to the front of the engine and I assume that the crankshaft sprocket has to come off to get to the cambelt cover. Presumably also it is necessary also to lock the camshafts and the crankshaft in position while the belt is changed. Has anyone got pics of the job?

 

[nippydee]

Excelente! Eu não posso ajudar com fotos, mas tenho certeza que alguém pode ajudar. O meu mecânico fez minha mudança cambelt. Its a hard 3 our job im told. And as before its a good idea to do the pump rocker gasket and drive belt at the same time to save going back later on x

 

[YOG]

Wouldn't the Puma 1.4 engine timing belt change be basically the same as in the Ford Fiesta Service and Repair Manual?

Manual 1995 - 2002 N to 02

• YOG
• Sep 16, 2009

 

[red]

I'd have thought it'd be exactly like that Rick k:

 

[roadrally]

Number 1 piston at the top of the bore and Tipex works every time for me! Never needed to buy a locking tool unless the cambelt has snapped and you dont know where everything lines up to (but if your cambelt has snapped, timing will be the least of your worries). This method has worked on 2.5 V6 quad cam engines.

 

[Stevecvo]

Thanks for that Roadrally but I don't think I am brave enough to risk getting the crank and camshaft out of sinc. I ordered a locking tool off e-bay and that has arrived but without any user instructions. I am just waiting now for the Fiesta Haynes manual which I have ordered through Amazon. Thank god for the internet!

I will report how I get on in due course. The main problem looks to me to be the lack of access. It is annoying because the guy who should have had the belt changed "can't remember whether it was changed although he is pretty sure it was". Just not worth taking the risk

 

[Stevecvo]

Having looked at the Haynes manual it is clear that a lot of the problems with changing the timing belt stem from the fact that the crankshaft pulley is not keyed and thus does not return to a fixed position relative to the crank. This means that you cannot put a timing mark on the pulley as you would if it were keyed to the shaft.

I think I now understand how to do the job but there are two queries in my mind:-

Why should it be necessary to slacken off the camshaft pulleys (which again are not keyed to the camshafts)? Surely it is possible to slide the belt over the pulleys with the camshafts locked in position for TDC and not have to release them and then tighten them up again afterwards'

The kit I have bought includes a pin for lining up the crank to TDC plus a pin for locking the crank. Has anyone any experience of using the locking pin to lock up the crank to release the bolt holding on the pullet wheel ? Basically does this work or is it better to try and jam the flywheel at the starter ring?

 

[Mark1]

Hi, welcome to the forums

 

[roadrally]

There should be no reason to slacken the cam sprockets, nothing will have moved so a new belt will set the timing in exactly the same place. The Autodata fitting guide goes into loads of detail which you dont need to follow!
Does the bottom crankshaft pulley have 4 small bolts and 1 centre bolt? If it does then you can remove the aux belt drive pulley without removing the crankshaft sprocket.

 

[Stevecvo]

Thanks Roadrally. This was my thinking about the camshaft pulleys. I will check the crankshaft pulley but I had assumed that this had to be removed to get access to the timing belt sprocket which sits behind it.

 

[roadrally]

Having looked at my 1.7 engine, there doesnt seem to be any bolts, apart from the centre 1, holding the pulley onto the crankshaft sprocket! so you will have to remove that bolt to access the cambelt.

Autodata book has a time of just over 2hrs for this job!

 

[Stevecvo]

What is the labelling on an original fit cambelt? I assume it is either Ford or Motorcraft but can anyone confirm. When I asked the first owner of my car about a cambelt change he was genuinely uncertain whether it had been done. I thought I would check the current cambelt for clues and found that it is labelled Gates which presumably means that it was an aftermarket fitting?

 

[JonB]

I did my cambelt a few months ago, would not advise using pin to lock crank as torque reqd is very high, I made a holding tool as per Haynes pictures.(Had 3 goes as well, bent M6 bolts, sheared HT M8s, M10 coach bolts did the job.)
Reason for resetting cam sprockets is crank one may move during tightening.
Would say if you have a Gates belt its not original, also when you remove it the tensioner will have the Ford logo ground out.
Also do not use a puller on the outside of the aux pulley, you can break/distort it as it is a composite.
As above, use a kit with new tensioner and bolts included, plus waterpump good idea to replace, IMO worth doing oil seals on crank and cams as you are there, rocker gasket advisable as well as aux belt.
Good luck,
Jon.

 

[Stevecvo]

I am sure that presence of the Gates belt indicates that the original has been replaced. I spoke again to the original owner who said he was pretty sure that it had been changed so in view of the complications of the job I am going to leave it for the time being unless I need to get to that area for anything else. Thanks to everyone for their comments.