Timing Belt

Is the timing belt a DIY job?

I'm needing to replace timing belt, water pump, belt tensor, on my 93 trooper with 110,000.

I'll pick up a Chilton's hanbook but just wondering if anyone else out there has done this and any tips.

I'm working on mine at the moment what a nightmare!!! Timing on this vehicle is the most ridiculous system I have ever encountered!! forget about the timing marks on the belt because they don't make any sense. give it to the dealer (big bucks) but not worth the headache for the do it yourselfer. Good luck

I'm needing a new belt on my 99 trooper as well soon.
I'm considering changing it myself. Would that nightmare apply to my 99 as well?

I'm needing a new belt on my 99 trooper as well soon.
I'm considering changing it myself. Would that nightmare apply to my 99 as well?

I've just rebuilt the whole engine on my 98. Timing was not that complicated of an issue. The biggest issue will be all the stuff you'll need to remove just to get to it. if you don't move any pulleys in the process it's even easier (compared to rebuilding) in my case the marks on the belt made perfect sense.

I don't have a manual for the trooper but the engine (post '98) is the same as the vehicross and you can find a manual at the bottom of http://www.tonemonday.com/vxparts.html

While you're that deep in there I strongly suggest you also replace the hydraulic tensioner and the waterpump. It would also be a good occasion to check valve-cammes clearance, but that might be opening a can of worms.

I've just rebuilt the whole engine on my 98. Timing was not that complicated of an issue. The biggest issue will be all the stuff you'll need to remove just to get to it. if you don't move any pulleys in the process it's even easier (compared to rebuilding) in my case the marks on the belt made perfect sense.

I don't have a manual for the trooper but the engine (post '98) is the same as the vehicross and you can find a manual at the bottom of http://www.tonemonday.com/vxparts.html

While you're that deep in there I strongly suggest you also replace the hydraulic tensioner and the waterpump. It would also be a good occasion to check valve-cammes clearance, but that might be opening a can of worms.
take it to someone and pay to have it done.

I've gotton 3 quotes, 2 from dealers, 1 from an independent shop, all were around $1,000 - $1,100 for belt, tensionor and water pump. Its seems a little high... I just ordered the parts for $250.00

I've gotton 3 quotes, 2 from dealers, 1 from an independent shop, all were around $1,000 - $1,100 for belt, tensionor and water pump. Its seems a little high... I just ordered the parts for $250.00

You'll be fine. Take your time with it and maybe buy a few tools. I ended up buying a set of 1/2 inch sockets and a breaker bar. They helped a lot. since you have the car attached to the tranny, you won't need to build a tool to hold the pulley while you take the bolt off. Just pull the hand brake and put it in gear (or park).

Also, important piece of advice: once you have everything off the front and you're down to the timing belt, put it in neutral and turn the crank to allign ALL the pulleys with the timing marks as they will need to be to put the belt on (the manual shows the marks). DO THIS BEFORE TAKING THE BELT OFF, in that position the camshafts should all be in a pretty much neutral position with no valves open. Try feeling for it after you get the tensioner off and before taking the belt off. If you don't you risk bending a valve stem.

It will take a while but it's really not that hard.

Thanks for the advice. I've been searching all over for some indication/directions on doing this. Not found too much. I downloaded the manual and browsed the instructions, but it didn't seem real clear. Now I can't find the CD :) I'll need to burn it again.
As long as all the marks are lined up, Do I need to turn anything else? What are you referring to with the comment 'feeling for it'? What all needs to come off to get to the belt? Radiator, throttle body, AC, steering motor?

Thanks again, Mike

P.S. I may go ahead a document the proceedure with my digital since it seems so many people think this shouldn't be done at home.

I just had my timing belt replaced (not water pump as it was fine and added 250 to the job) at the dealer and payed a little under 350. 60 was the t-belt, <25 for the serpentine belt, and labor was the rest. I would recommend the dealer if you didn't have a good place to work on it. I had it done at Moss Robertson in Gainesville, GA.

It will all get clearer as you do it. the stuff that needs to come off is all the stuff in front of the covers:

The serpentine belt, cooling fan with it's pulley assembly idler pulley etc. (I'm pretty sure the ac compressor can stay, not sure about other things as rebuilding the engine I had it all apart.) throttle body does not need to come off.

I suggest you take the radiator out to get more room and avoid damaging it. It is extremely easy to take out and worth the extra room.

awer25, as you said the most of it was labor, it is a lot of stuff to get to it, it would be a shame to do it again if the pump went, that's why generally when the pump is buried that deep it's not a bad idea to replace it. Also, I absolutely don't understand why they didn't replace the tensioner, I don't agree with that choice: the original is knowingly flowed (search the forum) and the replacement is upgraded (you can see the parts are different) it does add another $100+ to the bill, but again, if it goes they'll be doing it again...

Thanks for the info about the tensioner, I didn't know it was flawed and I would expect the dealer to know and check that, as I told them to do what they needed (within reason af course!) to get the job done right. As far as the water pump, they also wanted another 1.5 hours of labor, which made it only $80 more (330 vs 250) to have it done later, and hopefully it will last until the next change *fingers crossed* as it hasn't leaked a drop since I got it a year ago. I'll call and ask about the tensioner and maybe I can get them to replace that if it is in fact defective (although the engine has 150k, so it can't be that defective lol)
Thanks again guys!

If you already have 110K on the water pump, I would have changed it. When I had my 88 done at 160K it was shot and the tensioner was too. The new belt made it up over 300K before I got rid of the truck.