I've tried every variation of installing the timing belt on my '91 2.3L Ranger, still not in. The belt seems as if it's too short but I've been told that it "barely" fits, no kidding! I've pulled the crank balancer/timing trigger off and put it back on three or four times already. What's the trick? Everytime I get it close I'm off a tooth or more. Just frustrated, tired of hitching a ride to work, please help me before I lose it.

 

 

Hey Cubster..was searching this topic..Did you ever get it solved? If so what was the problem? How does one remove the crank trigger? Do I need a puller of some sort?

Trying to replace timing belt on my 92 2.3L and two big problems.

1. don't really know exactly how to remove that crank trigger
2. the tensioner spring set up came unbolted when I was trying to lessen tension on the existing belt. Do I need a fixture to get that back on?

 

As an update I did find a page in the Chilton book about how to replace Crankshaft Timing Sensor..haven't had a chance to get out to the shop to try all. It does talk about moving the crank to 10 oclock etc as part of the removal process..Hope 10 oclock is TDC! Otherwise confusing.

 

Try this link:

Replacing your timing belt (with pics) - The Ranger Station Forums

Hope this helps you.

 

I see the URL I posted is becoming popular...

The belt tensioner is just a post and plate, spring, and mounting bolts. Assemble the spring & mount, and use one bolt to hold it in place, not the bolt in the elongated slot. Put the other bolt in, and tighten loosely. When you want to install the belt, use a lever to tension the spring and move the idler pulley away from the belt, and tighten the adjuster {elongated} bolt to hold the tensioner out of the way. When the belt is in the position you like, loosen the adjuster bolt and allow the spring to push the tensioner against the belt. Rotate the crank at leas 2 turns and check your marks.
tom

I don't know anything about the crank sensor & 10 o'clock position.

 

Thanks for the link but this specific thread/pics etc is with a totally different timing belt setup. I suppose its an earlier Ranger? Maybe the year was there and I didn't see it, but the 92 2.3 L Ranger with the Crank Sensor is totally different.

I appreciate the help.

Tom

 

OK I'll give that a try..when the "tensioner assembly" totally came off I was thinking I need some kind of spring compressor to get that thing back in place before I can do the adjusting etc. Maybe I'm making it too complicated. With all the plastic around its hard to see how/where to use a pry bar..but I'm probably not seeing it. I'll keep working at it.

I think the 10 o' clock position instruction regarding the crank sensor has to do with "replacing it". And not just removing it as needed to remove the timing belt itself. I see a couple fasteners down there I guess I just have to take them out and somehow pop off the sensor. Otherwise there isn't enough space for the belt at the bottom to exit.

Hope I don't "pop off" the wrong thing and break something, but don't have much to go on. I'll just try to look at all and better guess how it comes apart. Myself i can't actually make much sense out of the tiny "machinist like" diagram in my Chilton book. Anyway its not clear enough for me.

Appreciate your help. Thanks.

Tom

 

Here's some pics of a 92 2.3L with Crank Sensor.

Don't know what to call it?, but how and do I need to remove that "round thing that the crank pulley was mounted to"? It's got a "crank bolt" through it as the earlier Ranger would use to hold the crank pulley in place, but as I said this later model unbolts the pulley itself but leaves this thing.

I've got an impact wrench if needed to remove the bolt into the crank, and I've got various "remover type pullers" etc but I've read no instructions that talk about removing the big round knarly thing but I suppose its necessary?

I can't remove the crank sensor with this in place? or can I?

Tom

 

92 2.3L Ranger with Crank Sensor:

 

I believe there is a LARGE bolt in the center of the crankshaft that needs to be removed before you gain access to remove / replace the belt itself. You have disassembled the vibration damper & pulley from the pulley hub. May not have a vibration damper... You can or could have left the pulley in place, and definitely want to put it back from whence it came as it should have a notch to indicate TDC. If not, then there is a keyway {woodruff half -moon} that should be at 12:00 O'clock when the crank is at TDC. I think the aux shaft should not matter, and the cam sprocket should have a triangle that lines up with the pointer at about the 4:00 O'clock position {from memory}.
Feed the belt onto the crank, then up around the aux and on to the cam. Move so the slack is on the tensioner side as much as possible. Any of the sprockets can be twiddled a tiny bit to get the belt in place, but the belt from crank to aux to cam should be taut, with little to no slack, and when you release the tensioner, it will snug up the loose side.
Again, crank it over a couple turns after putting tension on the belt, and check the engine/cam timing relationship. As noted, I don't think your aux does anything but drive the oil pump, and that is in time already...
tom
BTW, your tensioner spring looks out of place. When properly positioned, it will want to rotate the tensioner pulley counter clockwise about the pivot of the upper mounting bolt. One end of the spring pushes against a nub on the mounting plate, the other end against the post above and to the left of the pivot.

 

Did you read my earlier posts in this thread?

Have you ever removed this piece from a 2.3L ranger that has the crank sensor?

I very much appreciate your help..surely someone must have removed this bottom piece/with or without the pulley..makes no difference..already set TDC etc..and yes already aligned cam sprocket..and yes as I mentioned earlier the belt tension-er spring assembly has come loose etc..its just hanging there.

And if this piece on the end of the crank needs to come off? then I suppose I'm guessing that I'd use something like a "dampener removal tool"(even if its not a dampener)--but not really interested in guessing..Surely someone in the world has replaced this belt on a truck/motor exactly like this. True? I hope so. Don't want to damage something down there. Expensive lesson.

Appreciate your help/thanks



Thanks
Tom

 

Yes, I read them all. I TRY to scroll back and forth to answer all the points in question, but of course, being mostly human, am not perfect. If the answers do not suffice, re-state the question, or wait for someone else. I am relating my experience with timing belts as best I can. t


Normally the cast iron piece remaining comes off when you remove the large bolt into the nose of the crankshaft. They can get rusted in place, and difficult to remove. In that case you'd use a 'pulley puller' of your own design, using a bar of stock and 3-5 bolts, or a purchased tool. I was lucky when I did mine that it was not rusted, so came off pretty easily. As I noted, generally the pulley is not removed from the casting, so you have the edge of the pulley to pull on with your mitts. I do not have the crank sensor, as my truck is old, and has a distributor.
Anything that unbolts and might be in the way as you remove the casting should be gotten out of the way before you start. I think I removed my radiator just to be sure a wrench didn't slip and make a $100 hole. Gave me more room, too.
There is not really enough clearance between the back of the pulley carrier and the bottom of the front cover to get the old belt out easily. You can cut it for removal, but worming it through the small crevice is difficult. I did my brothers turbo bird in the parking lot as his work, but did not enjoy the job. I more or less 'folded' the belt to get it through, as I did not have tools to remove the pulley. I think it was not permanently damaged, but the alternative was towing and money was tight. If you are stumped, you can cut the old belt, and force the new one behind and into place, but I don't recommend it.
Given that you have removed the stamped(?) pulley, you have some meat to put some puller 'claws' on with the casting. You cannot use {shouldn't} a 'jawed' puller on thin metal pulleys or they will bend in a lot of cases, leading to more problems trying to find replacements. With the casting, you may be able to find a good spot to hook the jaws behind, and turn the pullers central bolt into the loosened crank bolt to get things freed up.
tom

Did I forget anything?

 

I re-fastened the pulley so I could double check that I hadn't moved the crank off TDC/used my air powered impact wrench and removed the large bolt in crank snout/and then just "wiggled" all off the crank. As you can see on this application it has a "key" in the crank that holds all.

Now I just have to remove the 2 small bolts(its not the two very small bolts that you see in this pic/view subsequent photo) that hold the crank sensor and push it aside or? and will now have access to remove belt from crank sprocket.
Or so it appears at the moment.

Moving kinda slow/trying to do some cleanup on the motor--i use this in agriculture so it gets dirty--plus got other to do things happening as well, and oh ya..trying not to break it!! but hope to get it together soon.

 

Pulley assembly pic from the "back side".