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Timing belt replacement

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  • OVERALL DIFFICULTY INDEX: 7/10
  • IF YOU HAVE NO TOOLS, YOU PAY $200 TO GET THEM FOR THIS JOB
  • IF YOU HAVE NO EXPERIENCE YOU SPEND 10 HOURS TO CARRY OUT THIS JOB
  • SAFETY: WORK ONLY ON A COLD ENGINE. RISKS OF HAND INJURY / SKIN IRRITATION DUE TO A TINY WORKING SPACE.
BEFORE YOU START
  • Timing belt replacement requires a minimum of know-how in general car mechanics. 
  • Replacing it also demands understanding how it works.
  • Not less than 6 hours necessary for a DOHC engine but you could spend the whole day depending on how used you are to carry out such works.
DISCLAIMER:
Our pictorials are of informative nature and do illustrate works carried out by ourselves at our own premises for our own use and satisfaction.
Readers who envisage to carry out similar works inspired by the below method shall do this at their own risks and liability.

1- Understanding the principle

A timing belt lets the camshaft or camshafts if your engine has 2 rotate in a synchronized manner with the crankshaft.
The camshafts are the ones actuating the valves opening and closing while the crankshaft moves the pistons.

The below pictorial illustrates the method advised by the manufacturer including the use of specific tools with some slight modifications to make things easier and avoid mishaps.

It applies to a Renault K4M 1.6 16v engine fitted in Dacia / Renault Sandero, Logan, Duster, and Renault Kangoo, Kangoo II, Clio II, Mégane II, Mégne III, Scenic II, Laguna I, Laguna II and Lada Largus.

2- Preparatory works

BEFORE THE START OF THE WORKS:
  • Identify your engine (left)
  • Make sure you have downloaded the procedure for your vehicle (middle left)
  • Buy the specific tool (middle right)
  • Find your radio code​ (right)
BEFORE LIFTING THE VEHICLE:
  • Remove the air box 
  • Disconnect the battery
  • Block one of the back wheels​
Remove all 4 COP's and loosen the spark plugs (left to right) to later facilitate the engine rotation by hand
Now put the 1st or rear gear and slacken the bolt of the crankshaft pulley. You can also do this later but it is much easier while all wheels are still on the ground. Also loosen the right wheel bolts after slightly lifting the vehicle with the hydraulic jack, just enough to relieve the wheel from some weight.
You may buy your K4m engine tools from our partners' stores, pls make sure of vehicle compatibility:
Take out the plugs of the camshafts ends on the cylinder head. Use a slotted screwdriver and a plastic hammer:
LIFT THE VEHICLE
You may buy your K4m engine tools from our partners' stores, pls make sure of vehicle compatibility:
Carefully remove the inner fender mudguard. Be patient when tearing off the plastic clips that hold it. You might need to replace them with new ones.
Now:
  1. Remove the tie-bar
  2. Find and remove the plug screw where you will later fit the TDC pin.
  3. You would need a mirror tool to find this plug. It is located to the bottom of the engine block and nearby the gearbox i.e. where the flywheel is.
  4. Compare it to the pin you purchased to make sure the latter will fit in its threaded hole

3- Timing belt removal

Before removing the belt, you need to tie the camshafts ends together using the specific tool.
1- Block the right hub by inserting a screwdriver in the brake disc from beneath.

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2- Put the 4th or 5th or 6th gear.


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3- Use the left wheel to rotate the engine and watch the camshafts ends. Rotate the wheel forward. Do not reverse the rotation, do not rotate the wheel backwards.
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4- Keep turning until they are aligned horizontally with the grooves lower than the cylinder head cover line.
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5- You will now need the blocking tool.



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6- Gently try inserting it into the grooves. Do not force, do not hit it with any tool. It should go by a simple bare hand push. If not rotate just a little the engine by succinct movements until it goes in.
7- Secure the tool with a 6 mm bolt.
Use the hydraulic jack to support the engine and make sure to have a piece of wood between its plate and the oil pan.
DO NOT USE a fixed support or the manufacturer's tool because you will need to raise and lower the engine for an easier access to the various bolts when removing and refitting the belt.
Buy your Renault 1.6 16V timing belt kit from our partners, pls make sure of vehicle compatibility:
Remove the right power-train support:
  1. Un-clip the fuel lines
  2. Loosen the screws of the support on the engine
  3. Note well that they are not of equal length
  4. Loosen the ones of the support on the vehicle and take it out
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Now the accessory belt and its crankshaft mounted pulley:
1- Rotate the accessory belt tensioner clockwise with one hand...



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2- ...While removing the belt with the other.




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3- if you did not loosen the crankshaft pulley before lifting the vehicle, insert a flat screwdriver in any opening from where you can see the flywheel to block the crankshaft.
4- Slacken the crankshaft pulley bolt and take both out.




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The crankshaft sprocket is now visible. Its groove points at 12 o'clock (compared to engine axis. the engine is usually back inclined so it looks like 11 o'clock compared to the horizontal line).
Time now to remove both lower and upper timing belt covers:
Loosen the tensioner nut, this will release the tension from the belt, take it out, along with the belt and the belt wheel opposite the tensioner:

4- Refitting

Make sure to replace the below components:
  1. Belt tensioning kit usually comprising the belt, the tensioner, the opposite wheel, and a new crankshaft pulley bolt. If you're in a country where the belt changing interval is of 60,000 Km and you are replacing it at this mileage, do not replace the water pump. You will fit a new water pump upon the 120,000 Km replacement.
  2. Accessory belt
  3. Cylinder head plugs at camshaft ends
You need first to make sure the crankshaft is at its synchronized position.
  • Remove the bolt beneath the engine starter as shown in the left picture and fit the TDC pin in its hole and turn it by hand until it touches the engine block. Do not tighten it with a tool.
  • Then gently rotate the engine using the left wheel until it stops. You will hear a metallic noise generated by the crankshaft touching the pin.
Buy your Renault 1.6 16V timing belt kit from our partners, pls make sure of vehicle compatibility:
Take out the crankshaft sprocket and clean it with a degreaser. Do the same for the inner side of the pulley.
Refit the sprocket and the timing belt and proceed with the tensioning procedure.
When inserting the new tensioner, make sure its small leg on the back goes into its intended groove on engine block.
Do not tighten the tensioner nut with a tool, just by hand and leave it a bit loose.

Use the allen key as shown below to tension the belt bringing the arrow within the U and immediately tighten the tensioner nut.
Now proceed as follows:
  1. Remove the TDC pin.
  2. Remove the camshafts immobilizing tool.
  3. Rotate the engine by hand 2 complete turns
  4. Check the tensioner setting did not change.
  5. Align the camshafts sprocket grooves again and try to fit the blocking tool. It should go in easily without forcing. If not, repeat all refitting steps from beginning.​
  6. Reverse all dismantling steps and tighten all to the recommended torques mentioned in the procedure you had downloaded
  7. Fit new cylinder head plugs
Buy your Renault 1.6 16V timing belt kit from our partners, pls make sure of vehicle compatibility:

5- Final checklist

  1. Connect the battery and wait a couple of minutes
  2. Turn on the engine and immediately check there is no abnormal noise
  3. Let it idle for 2 minutes at least
  4. Turn it off and check the accessory belt tension
  5. Start it again, bring it progressively to 4000rpm and turn it off.
  6. Refit the right wheel and lower the vehicle
  7. Enter your radio code (1,2,3,4 used repeatedly to reach the number of each respective digit, 6 to confirm and enter the code)

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