98 sephia

i have a broken timing belt after 135 thousand miles and in changing it i have a couple questions one is do i have to remove the valve cover ( as ive seen in one illustration)and why? and have heard mentioned by a few something about valves being bent,how can i tell if they are without removing the head? thanks for any help,mack

there is no reason you would have to remove the valve cover. To know if the valves are bent, I would check the compression after reinstalling the new belt. Make sure everything is lined up right when you put the new one on.

there is no reason you would have to remove the valve cover. To know if the valves are bent, I would check the compression after reinstalling the new belt. Make sure everything is lined up right when you put the new one on.

to clarify since i have a little more time now, make sure the I and E on the intake and exaust valve cams are at marks on top, notch on bottom is lined with mark on engine block also.

I believe it is recomended to replace the tensioner as well? don't really know if that's necessary... fastkia would probably know...

Just to let you know, you do have to remove the valve cover to get to the timing belt, as I have been working on my '96 timing belt for the last 2 months, because some genious somehow screwed something up to where when the timing marks are lined up, the timing is not set, so I have had to manually find the correct timing myself, but anyway, I also have a '98, and apparently the timing is structured the same way with the '96 and the '98, and part of the removal and installation of the timing belt is removing the valve cover, as you can't get to the top of the belt without removing the valve cover.

I do have a copy of the Kia Service Tech section for the timing belt romval and installation for the '96 Sephia, but from what I was told by others who have taken a copy of these from me, the '96 and '98 are the same when it comes to replacement of the timing belt, and the instructions have worked for those who have '96, '97, and '98 models. If you would like a copy, just send me a private message with your email address, and I will be happy to send you a copy.