Thread: 300Tdi Timing belt, What went wrong.... EVERYTHING

Guys, Gals, Mutts and Pussy's
Yesterday i changed the Timing belt on Grommet. Last time it was done was unknown. So i was not going to risk it even though a inspection thru the holes came out looking ok.

Started to strip it down. Looked on the net 1st to find the Crank bolt was a 27mm, so i went off and got one in 3/4" drive...
Got home to find it was the same as a 200tdi and a 30mm socket, no problem, i had one of them.
Put the socklet and 3/4 bar on and turned the crank until i hit the chassis and then i removed the soleniod wire on the pump, turned the engine over to unscrew the bolt and...................... Locked solid..... tryed several times then it eventually went POP and unwound very slowly......... i got it out to find the whole tread was covered in loctite. Noice......
Then came the removing of the Crank Pully/dampener. Loctite was used on the shaft as well. Puller had a great time of getting it off.
After that i puleld the cover off and found the belt in good nick, but the idler and tensioner was well past its used by date.
I cleaned the lot up and fitted a Major Timing Belt kit. Replacing the Crank gear was not fun either. Loctite was used there as well.
Fitting was easy, read the new instructions for the new kit and fitted the lot.
The 300 engine as you know has the problem with belts schreding.... well mine had had the fix up kit fitted in the past, but ther is still an update with the bolts that hold the tensioner and the Crank gear.

How did i hold the crank while i tightened the Crank bolt??? i modified my 200 tdi tool and added a 60mm pipe to the plate and then bolted it to the Crank damper...

Now came the putting back together and finding any pully that had a bearing was stuffed...
Fan belt tensioner is noisy as is the Fan bearing in the front cover.
I was trying to work out how i could lubricate the Fan bearing and not have to fork out the $450 for the front cover.
So after i cleaned up the front timing cover i found the rear bearing seal had a tin cap. i pocked a small screwdriver through it and prissed it off. I then manually pushed grease into the bearing and continued to do so for about 10 mins.. i then cleaned it all up and refitted the rear seal cover and used Epoxy on the small hole i created.
This is only a Temp fix and i will replace it properly in the next few weeks.
I'm going to but a bearing from British 4wd and fit that. But i have to be carefull in pressing the old one out and the new one in, as removing alloy from the cover when you press the old one out, will make the new one a loose fit, then the fan just wanders out of the front cover.....

The bearing in the Fan belt tensioner i am replacing and i'll do the hoses and belt while i'm there.....
Cheap exercise....
Timing belt kit $450, belt, 2 pullys, Gasket, bolts, Crank gear.
Front Timing cover $450
Hoses $200 for all
Serp belt, $50

Love it.. but mind you... will never have to do this again on Grommet... There is no way he will live another 80,000km..... Sad fact is i only drive it on weekends and its a Bush toy and facts are that it wont last for ever......

So the tally for this job is
2 knuckles that are not ripped apart and lots of swearing...

Clarkie

Its a Landie, it will still be on the road in 30 years.