Wanting to tackle tb and wp

Well the weekend is upon us and id really love to start this project as i dont have the 900.00 to spend to have it done and at 127000 i think its time! is there a step by step faq for replacing the timing belt and waterpump? if so can someone please direct me to it. Thanks! My specs are in my sig 97 rodeo...etc.

I can't help you since I don't own a manual for the '97. I believe Surferfletch and a couple of others have done their own.

Have you tired searching here and the other sites?

Make ABSOLUTE certain you also replace your timing belt TENSIONER, or you will be returning to the duty in short order. It's the tensioner that commonly fails before the actual belt does.

Also, you are far better off using actual Isuzu parts, especially for the belt. As the marks on other belts have been known to be off, causing issues.

Honestly, last year, when my waterpump failed, it was -20F outside, I didn't have a garage the Rodeo would fit in, nor the time for down time. I had a long time mechanic friend do the whole package, plus many extra items since he was right there anyways. My cost was slightly over $1k, but I had her back the next day.

well i got the parts from st charles cost just over 500 for the parts ugh...and i have half the front of the engine tore out...just waiting on the rain to stop so i can finish it up...i did some research on this yesterday seeing as how it was raining the better part of the day...my next step in the process is taking off the pulley...doesnt look like too bad a job as i have an impact wrench...stupid rain! if i had the extra money to spend my mechanic said he would do it all for 900 including new hoses and such i just didnt have the extra money so im chalking this up as a huge learning experience...im only replacing the upper and lower hoses as everything else was changed out not that long ago. Im praying this makes the diesel sound go away otherwise i just may have to take her out back and shooter. On a happier note a neighbor has a 97 passport for sale for 1000 obo with only 67000 miles on it and has had the belt done with docs to prove it...and the body looks mint. (garage kept) i guess he is selling it for an estate settlement...i told him i got first dibs and he said its yours if you want it. wish me luck as the rain may stop by tomorrow!

I'd fly up for that deal. Where are you???

cheektowaga ny

ok i am back sorry for the delay my back and the weather have not been cooperating very much lately...i ran into a problem...i got all the parts...start getting everything assembled and now i cant get the tensioner on...the piston will not go down to get it in...am i missing something?

It takes a good deal of force to push that piston back in. Are you reusing the old one? If so, you have to force it in, hold it with a piece of wire in the hole, mount it, then pull the wire out.

If you have a new one, that wire should have already been in place, and you pull it after getting the tensioner mounted.

Like FL 3.2L says ^.

Use a G-clamp, bench-vise or similar to compress the piston.

I'm going after my TB this weekend. I bought all brand name aftermarket parts for just over $300. This isn't including the 2 idler pulleys for the timing belt. Do you think these will be ok to reuse? I had to replace the idler on my civic's TB, but it had 160K + miles on it, my Rodeo has 105K. The parts I bought also include the fan belt and tensioner for it.

ok so i tried pressing down by hand on a bench and that was a no go...i dont have any clamps large enough to try it so ill go and pick one up today...should i just bite the bullet and just replace it and not even hassle with the old one? also i noticed a lot of spin in my old pulleys and almost no spin in the new ones...good? yes yes?

ok being short on cash i went with a hunch...i went and got a 5" clamp and compressed the piston down...i then released it and sure enough it came right back up with no hesitation...after several tests i can deem this part as good?
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/billindelicato/2-1.jpg

It's good now, but you see how much work it is to get in there. Might save you a headache and more money down the road to do it now.

As far as the pulleys go, I changed mine out for the same reason. Others say they'd only replace the pulleys if they didn't look good at the time of the swap.

the good news: parts are installed...everything is buttoned up...
the bad news: started up first time with no hesitation but after about 10 seconds its started to pop and smelled like it was running real rich. i shut it off...started again on first try...then started making a poping sound again help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make sure everything is right. First outside the covers. Then you'll have to take the covers off and recheck the timing. Did you mark and match the belt?

yeah i checked everything to make sure it was timed right according to the marks on the back plate behind the 2 camshaft pulleys...

yeah i checked everything to make sure it was timed right according to the marks on the back plate behind the 2 camshaft pulleys... and the crank mark with the mark on the water pump EDIT: OIL PUMP...(of course, sorry for the wrong typing!)?

//bc

no mark on the waterpump but i did set the crank at the notch on the block... i went and redid everything since my last post and still runs like its missing...with a slight knock or pop every now and then...im afraid mess around with it anymore in fear of it breaking something!!! i checked all there is to check as far as wiring...grounds...plugs...etc nothing is out of place.

Hate to say it, but if you are sure the marks are good, it could be that tensioner...

Hate to say it, but if you are sure the marks are good, it could be that tensioner...
any chance you know where i can find it for less than 100.00 i mean way less as i am literally running out of money here!

I don't. Did you keep the pulleys pretty close to where they were before removing the belt?

the pulleys moved but they were set back to where they were, as i said all timing marks lined up when i put it back together...

Yeah, it sure sounds like you got it timed right. Have you taken a peak to see if the marks are still spot on or if the belt shows any weird wear? The only other thing I can think of, and it is pretty far out there, is that one of the pulleys isn't in line (water pump?).

There are 2 "tesioner arms" available on the isuzuparts.com website. One for $104 and one for $66. The aftermarket is probably not as good, but it would beat a faulty one.

Yeah, it sure sounds like you got it timed right. Have you taken a peak to see if the marks are still spot on or if the belt shows any weird wear? The only other thing I can think of, and it is pretty far out there, is that one of the pulleys isn't in line (water pump?).

all parts are brand new oem waterpump pulleys etc...i cant imagine it being the harmonic balancer...

when you say faulty...what would you consider faulty? as i said before i tested it several times and it seemed to work just fine.

Just that it isn't holding proper tension, but you wouldn't know it unless you could see it while its running, I suppose. I wish I could see the setup and see how it runs....

if it matters any...the popping i hear almost sounds like the belt is coming off and reseating itself...

i see this has turned into time and money nightmare for you.

well lets just take a step back and think.

you think its lined up right and you have checked many times.
you struggled with the tensioner but it seemed to be ok

the noise you describe sounds like the belt is tightening and loosening like you described. You have already done it once, take the belt off and re-examine the tensioner, because it is very likely a tensioner failure that you might or might not have caused or helped, or you installed the tensioner incorrectly, or the marks are wrong.

email me anytime and we can work through this and get you on the road I am going to school for this stuff and have some tbs under my belt
just pm for addy if you want personal help - but you can start disassembling IMHO because you can't fix it as it is.

GL!!!

ok so after getting the new tensioner in now everthing under there is brand new oem...i have little to no compression and a slight shake to the engine and no heat...please please please help!!!

Sounds like you are off a couple of teeth. Did you run it long enough to get up to temp? Maybe you still have some air in the system. You didn't run it long after doing the water pump.

yeah ran for a good 20 minutes orso temp guage went right up to the middle and still no heat...

It would require removing the covers again :frown: , but it certainly would help us all to help you if you posted some photo's of the way you have set the belt, camshaft pulleys and crankshaft timing marks - and perhaps some overall shots of the belt path and tensioner etc. :)

i will do that first thing in the am and post them for all to see...

...ran for a good 20 minutes orso temp guage went right up to the middle and still no heat...

I'm a little confused about 'no heat'? Do you mean you couldn't feel any heat, or that the cabin heater had no heat? Obviously the temp gauge says you have heat and 20 minutes of internal combustion must have generated heat!

i will do that first thing in the am and post them for all to see... that should help. also
so after getting the new tensioner in now everthing under there is brand new oem...i have little to no compression and a slight shake to the engine and no heat...please please please help!!!

when you say oem parts, do you mean isuzu branded parts from the dealer, or parts some seller is representing as oem? do the part numbers match what the isuzu online parts site calls for? www.myisuzuparts.com (http://www.myisuzuparts.com)

//bc

all oem...straight from st chareles...i got it up and running today but still a bit rough...and i now have heat and compression...just still a bit rough

How did you find the marks?

she is better now!!!!!!!!!!!!! i took it in to dealer to have the tranny flushed and filled and the tech ajusted it for me...i was off 2 teeth!!! 2 lousy stinkin teeth!!! oh man its so good to have her back!!! thank you everyone for all your help im sure ill be able to return the favour soon!!!!

Glad you got it. I thought this engine was pretty tolerant when off a couple of teeth. Obviously not, in your case. I found my marks a bit off when I did the belt, after a shop did it the first time. I had no running issues with the marks off a bit. My VW Jetta runs terribly when off one tooth or more.

Good to hear you got it done. So how much do you think you saved doing it yourself?

around 400 in savings.