REMOVAL & INSTALLATION TIMING BELT Removal (Esteem) 1. Disconnect negative battery cable. Remove right side engine under cover. Remove power steering and A/C compressor drive belts. 2. Remove A/C compressor and power steering pump with hoses attached, and secure out of way. Support engine from above or with floor jack under oil pan. Remove air cleaner case with air cleaner outlet hose. 3. From timing belt end of engine, remove engine mount and mounting bracket. Loosen water pump pulley bolts. Remove water pump drive belt and pulley. 4. Remove 5 crankshaft pulley-to-crankshaft bolts. Remove pulley. It is NOT necessary to remove crankshaft center bolt. Remove timing belt cover. See Fig. 1. 5. Rotate crankshaft clockwise to align timing marks. See Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Stamped "E" on camshaft sprocket must point straight up. Loosen timing belt tensioner bolt and stud nut. Move tensioner away from belt, and hand tighten bolt and nut. See Fig. 4. 6. If reusing old belt, mark belt with an arrow indicating direction of rotation for installation reference. Remove timing belt. CAUTION: With timing belt removed, DO NOT turn camshaft or crankshaft sprocket more than 90 degrees in either direction from aligned position. Doing so could damage pistons and valves. Page 1
Fig. 1: Exploded View Of Timing Belt Components
Fig. 2: Aligning Camshaft & Crankshaft Timing Marks
Fig. 3: Aligning Timing Marks
Fig. 4: Releasing Timing Belt Tensioner Removal (Sidekick, Vitara & X-90) 1. Disconnect negative battery cable. Remove accessory drive belts. Remove radiator cooling fan, water pump pulley, and fan shroud. It may be necessary to drain cooling system and remove upper radiator hose to remove fan shroud. 2. Remove 5 crankshaft pulley-to-crankshaft bolts. Remove pulley. It is NOT necessary to remove crankshaft center bolt. Remove timing belt cover. See Fig. 1. 3. Rotate crankshaft clockwise to align timing marks. See Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Stamped "E" or punch mark on camshaft sprocket must straight up. Loosen timing belt tensioner bolt and stud nut. Move tensioner away from belt, and hand tighten bolt and nut. See Fig. 4. If reusing old belt, mark belt with an arrow indicating direction of rotation for installation reference. Remove timing belt. CAUTION: With timing belt removed, DO NOT turn camshaft more than 20 degrees in either direction from aligned position. To prevent piston and valve damage, DO NOT turn crankshaft more than 90 degrees in either direction
from aligned position. Inspection (All Models) Inspect timing belt for damaged teeth, cracking and oil contamination. Check timing belt tensioner for worn bearing. Replace damaged components. Installation (All Models) 1. If the tensioner was removed, install tensioner plate on tensioner. Ensure tensioner plate lug engages hole on rear of tensioner. Install tensioner spring. Tighten tensioner bolt finger tight to allow movement of tensioner. 2. On 1989-94 Sidekick with 8-valve engine, remove valve cover. Loosen all valve adjusting screws. On all models, ensure timing marks are still aligned. Install timing belt. If reusing old belt, ensure direction arrow mark on timing belt is pointed in direction of crankshaft rotation. Ensure drive side of belt is free of slack. 3. Loosen tensioner bolt and stud nut to place tension on timing belt. Turn crankshaft 2 revolutions clockwise to remove all slack from belt. Tighten tensioner stud nut and then tensioner bolt. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS. 4. Ensure timing marks are aligned. Install timing belt cover and tighten bolts to specification. Reverse removal procedure to complete installation. If coolant was drained, fill and bleed air from system. Adjust drive belts to proper tension. Adjust valve lash on 1989-94 Sidekick with 8-valve engine. See VALVE CLEARANCE SPECIFICATIONS under ADJUSTMENTS.