can anyone help me with changing my timing belt. Is there anything I need to know that is hard to do or is it all just easy to do. Also what degree do I want it at. thanks for the help

 

Go to the Ranger section.. in the technical Information tab, there is a Word Doc that has the details.
tom

 

http://members.aol.com/racsan99a/2.3LTimingBelt.doc
This is the link. The document takes a LONG time to load.
AL.

 

I changed mine (after waiting since it was new) just because. Its a '85. The shop manual does not say to torque the belt tension at all, just let the idler pulley spring snap the idler back in place, and check timings after rotating the engine 2 revs by hand.
My engine acts like it has a rubber band for the cam. No guts any more. Barely get out of its own way. I checked the timing, cam & dist, and all was well. Still ran (walked) worse than before. Took the cover off, and applied a little 'help' to the back side of the tensioner, and it was better. Still not right.
Does anyone know what the miles/years recommendations are for replacing the belt? I'd heard 60 thousand miles, and am still (after 19? years) short of that mileage, but thought, what the heck, it's old... I've searched the owners manual and shop manual with no success. This thing runs so bad I'd put the old one back for all the hp/torque I'd gain. I am totally unsatisfied. Did the mfgs change the way they made the belt, or did I do something wrong?
tom

 

The only thing I can think might have happened is you got the cam a tooth off. One tooth can really mess things up.
Line everything back up and make sure the all the marks line up and the belt between the cam and aux. gear is tight.
You might recheck your timing (with a timing light) just to make sure that aux gear didn't move a little when putting the new belt on.

I know you check these but recheck them again. The other thing, did you knock a vacuum line off something when pulling the cover off?

 

All timing marks line up. The ignition was timed with a timing light, SPOUT disconnnected as per emission label. Done twice. No vacuum lines anywhere near there. Idles too well for there to be an unnoticed vacuum line disconnect.
Totally gutless until you get the revs up, then sort of kicks in slowly. I think the timing belt I got stretches and lets the cam and ignition get off time, and then the stretching slowly comes back to normal...
tom