Ford Ranger timing belt replacement 2.3L

[clemsonfor]

We really dont have a vehicle repair forum, so i will try here.

1990 ford ranger 2.3L

My Ranger has some noise coming from the timing belt area. Looking under the cover it looks like the belt is loose and slapping around like a tensioner has backed off or something. I watched/helped when it was done years ago at the father in laws shop. I know how to get to it and loosen tensioner etc. Thats not the question. I also have not got on my ranger forum which i really just lurk on but has every thing related to them, or googled it to find out how to change the belt.

Anyway my question is does anyone know where the timing marks are supose to be? Up, center facing each other? Current belt hasent jumped so i gues i can just rotate till there togeather or whatever. But will i need a cam lock? Do these cams rotate after the belt is removed?

Anyone who has experience on these 2.3L timing belt engines id like to hear from you. Need anymore description or clarity from me just let me know.

 

[ToadHill]

It's been some time but if my memory serves me right the timing marks point toward each other.

 

[fbiwrench]

1990 if I remember correctly still has a distributor. If so pop the dist cap off the engine and rotate by hand till the dist. rotor points to #1 wire terminal. Crankshaft keyway should always point straight up to be a TDC. If belt has not broken (still runs) should be easy. Not all the camshaft sprockets were marked.

 

[Travelover]

Maybe these guys can help.

http://www.fordrangerforum.com/

Ford Ranger Forum - The Ultimate Ford Ranger Resource

 

[brokenot]

The camshaft sprocket should be marked. Don't try to put on a new belt by simply removing the old one and holding things in place. Position the crank/cam/oil pump sprockets to their proper orientation and install the new belt. Typically, the cam sprocket has two kinds of marks on it. One will be in the shape of a triangle and the other will be a diamond. If you're not looking straight at the marks, (sometimes it's difficult with the engine installed since you end up looking at the front of the engine at an angle), it's easy to mistake the two and then line the triangle mark up with the diamond mark or vice versa. If you can't look at the marks from a straight-on perspective, then use a mirror to verify what you're lining up with what.

The good news is that this is not an interference engine...meaning if things get totally mucked up, the engine won't start/run...but it won't bend any valves or anything either. If you do the install and something isn't properly lined up, try again.

These belts usually don't get loose enough to flap around and make noise, so maybe at some point it was replaced and not correctly tensioned or something.

I have a complete service manual for the "industrial" version of this engine if you want a copy. The timing belt replacement procedure is exactly the same as the "automotive" version. I've probably done 40-50 of these belts over the years....it's one of the easiest ones there is. Well within the capabilities of a DIY-er.

 

[clemsonfor]

1990 if I remember correctly still has a distributor. If so pop the dist cap off the engine and rotate by hand till the dist. rotor points to #1 wire terminal. Crankshaft keyway should always point straight up to be a TDC. If belt has not broken (still runs) should be easy. Not all the camshaft sprockets were marked.

nope distributerless. Has 2 coil packs one for each side. This is the 2.3 with 8 plugs.

 

[clemsonfor]

The camshaft sprocket should be marked. Don't try to put on a new belt by simply removing the old one and holding things in place. Position the crank/cam/oil pump sprockets to their proper orientation and install the new belt. Typically, the cam sprocket has two kinds of marks on it. One will be in the shape of a triangle and the other will be a diamond. If you're not looking straight at the marks, (sometimes it's difficult with the engine installed since you end up looking at the front of the engine at an angle), it's easy to mistake the two and then line the triangle mark up with the diamond mark or vice versa. If you can't look at the marks from a straight-on perspective, then use a mirror to verify what you're lining up with what.

The good news is that this is not an interference engine...meaning if things get totally mucked up, the engine won't start/run...but it won't bend any valves or anything either. If you do the install and something isn't properly lined up, try again.

These belts usually don't get loose enough to flap around and make noise, so maybe at some point it was replaced and not correctly tensioned or something.

I have a complete service manual for the "industrial" version of this engine if you want a copy. The timing belt replacement procedure is exactly the same as the "automotive" version. I've probably done 40-50 of these belts over the years....it's one of the easiest ones there is. Well within the capabilities of a DIY-er.

Thanks for this. I was wondering if it was one that self destructs if untimed. Had a budy with the same truck had one break and nothing happened so, its not like he was lucky there all that way. Think i will be fine without a copy of those pages , so far. Like i said i have "seen " it done, but it was 7 years or so ago. I can push my finger on it and its loose and stuff a small screw driver in there and its got some slack in it.

As for the noise it sounds like its from the upper end? Does that big pully on the top side have a bearing in it? U ntill i get it pulled apart i cant really tell anything. So off come the radiator fan pully waterpum belt cover etc.

So if they point at each other they will be at crank mark at 12 o clock and cam pully at 6 oclock, correct? Thats the only way they can match i guess?

Its prolly got around 100k miles on it since the last one and the whole motor i beleive to have 285k. When i got it the odometer said like 55k and it just shoved to much wear to only be 55k and not 155k. Still runs like a top. Burns some oil, but i put the A/c back togeather all new a few years ago. It gets cold enough to hang meat in there now. Still gets 22-25mpg so i cant get rid of it even if the roof and hood need paint! But i did buy a HF spray gun to teach myself how to paint on it!

 

[clemsonfor]

wow just googled it and found one site telling me all kinds of stuff that i know isnt right. First it was talking about the distributer, which this dosent have. Crazy thing is that this looked like oficial ford documents or procedure. Also said to remove and discharge a/c and the bracket with the power steering pump on it. Fine i i need to, althogh i dont remember doing it the first time? I have a recycle machine so thats no big deal, but i can take the compressor off and lay it to the side? I dont know it this was totally right? Have to look again but i dont think i need to remove all that suff?

 

[brokenot]

I really doubt that you'd need to discharge the A/C, but I don't know the vehicle specifics. They probably just want to ensure that someone unfamiliar doesn't disconnect a fitting and dump the refrigerant into the atmosphere while trying to get brackets out of the way.

I uploaded the manual to MediaFire...here's a link: (MediaFire is a free site that has all kinds of ads and pop-ups...disregard or close them and you'll see the yellow download box with the industrial engine service manual in it. It's a 7.89 mb file you can view with Adobe or save to your hard drive.)

Ford_LRG-425 Industrial Service_3120057_11-2000_English.pdf

The manual is *officially* for a 425 engine, (four cylinder, 2.5 liter displacement), but much of the info is interchangeable with the 423 version.

The parts store will be able to look up the belt by vehicle appication, but on the industrial versions the 423 and 425 take different belts. There's a difference in tooth counts, as well as tooth profile. One has rounded teeth, while the other has square teeth.

The timing belt illustration is on page 66, with instructions on replacing from pages 67-70. The idler/tensioner does have a bearing that eventually wears out, but that usually doesn't occur until 200,000+ miles or so. I have replaced a couple of them at 5000+ hours in the industrial applications. The camshaft sprocket is supported by the cam which rides in oil-fed plain bearings just like the crank sprocket. The other sprocket drives the oil pump. If it's loose/noisey, then the oil pump needs replacing. On older distributor-equipped engines, that pulley drove the distributor. Now it just drives the oil pump...but the sprocket does have an indent or protrusion on the rear sheet metal edge that the camshaft position sensor reads as the sprocket rotates...so it needs to be in proper orientation also.

 

[clemsonfor]

I really doubt that you'd need to discharge the A/C, but I don't know the vehicle specifics. They probably just want to ensure that someone unfamiliar doesn't disconnect a fitting and dump the refrigerant into the atmosphere while trying to get brackets out of the way.

I uploaded the manual to MediaFire...here's a link: (MediaFire is a free site that has all kinds of ads and pop-ups...disregard or close them and you'll see the yellow download box with the industrial engine service manual in it. It's a 7.89 mb file you can view with Adobe or save to your hard drive.)

Ford_LRG-425 Industrial Service_3120057_11-2000_English.pdf

The manual is *officially* for a 425 engine, (four cylinder, 2.5 liter displacement), but much of the info is interchangeable with the 423 version.

The parts store will be able to look up the belt by vehicle appication, but on the industrial versions the 423 and 425 take different belts. There's a difference in tooth counts, as well as tooth profile. One has rounded teeth, while the other has square teeth.

The timing belt illustration is on page 66, with instructions on replacing from pages 67-70. The idler/tensioner does have a bearing that eventually wears out, but that usually doesn't occur until 200,000+ miles or so. I have replaced a couple of them at 5000+ hours in the industrial applications. The camshaft sprocket is supported by the cam which rides in oil-fed plain bearings just like the crank sprocket. The other sprocket drives the oil pump. If it's loose/noisey, then the oil pump needs replacing. On older distributor-equipped engines, that pulley drove the distributor. Now it just drives the oil pump...but the sprocket does have an indent or protrusion on the rear sheet metal edge that the camshaft position sensor reads as the sprocket rotates...so it needs to be in proper orientation also.

Wow, thnks. I have the square tooth profile adn have a belt in my cart at advance when i have a parts order to place for some other parts and threw the belt in to help get to free shipping.