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timing belt

F

Fordwerke

CEG'er
Joined
Jan 27, 2008
Messages
157
Location
Bay Harbor Islands, FL
"I thank this car is a good car, my timing belt broke at 79,000 miles that could have been a disaster but with Fords free spinning engine it was no problem the car rides good and has nice handling I haven’t had any odd problems with this car except the fuel censer going out and it has 120,000 miles on it. Over all a good car
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I found this message reading about the Mystique. I guess the engines of the Contour and the Mystique are identical, so does this "free spinning engine" from Ford mean I can be a careless driver and don't have to worry about the timing belt? Is this free-spinning thing applicable to both the 2 and the 2.5 liter engine?

thnx folks,
 
They mean it's a non-interference engine. Mostly. A few have damaged valves when the timing belt broke. But no, you can't be careless. You car could be one of the couple that does bend some valves. Plus, when it suddenly breaks, you're stranded. BTW, 2.5L doesn't have a belt, it has a chain.
 
I REALLY, REALLY, would like to hear from a person who has experienced FIRST-HAND this mythical zetec interference! We've all heard of it happening, but I for one do not believe it has ever happened.

I changed mine around 100k to avoid being stranded. Belt looked like it was still in excellent condition. It's generally advisable to replace the tensioner and both idlers at the same time.
 
the zetec is a non-interference engine, the probelm is that over time carbon can build up on top of the pistons and bottom of the valves resulting in the damage. this generally happens to very high mileage vehicle with people that always use the cheapest-:censored::censored::censored::censored: gas out there on a consitent basis. and usually if a zetec does bend a valve, it just barely bends resulting in very low compression in that cylinder, not 0 compression like in a honda. over the past 12 years in a shop i have only seen two that did this and many, many, many that have come in with broken belts.
 
There is so many factors that could result in a damaged engine from a broken belt. What happens if the person hears the belt snap the car starts slowing down, so they step on the gas to get it going?
 
Matt R said:
There is so many factors that could result in a damaged engine from a broken belt. What happens if the person hears the belt snap the car starts slowing down, so they step on the gas to get it going?
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once the belt snaps the motor shuts down. I snapped one awhile ago on my 96 when it had 130k on the stock belt... nothing happen.. Pushing the gas would do nothing.
 
No new air-no combustion.

Change your timing belt before it breaks, zetecs are a :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: to do the belts on, even worse when you have to retime the motor.
 
Agreed- it's much easier to count the teeth and slip a new belt on than retime the motor, since a special tool is needed to find TDC. Stepping on the gas with a broken belt would do nothing. I understand the theory about carbon buildup causing interference, and I think it may be plausible, but I've never actually heard from someone to whom it has happened. I'm not one to believe anything unless I've seen it myself.
 
theres no special tool for finding TDC, lock the cams and get cylinder 1 TDC and put the belt on.

the timing belts are pretty simple.. the waterpump is the hard part. That's jnot hard once you do it once or twice though..
 
The special tool he is talking about is the crank pin. You screw it in and turn engine by hand till it hits and you are exactly at TDC
 
you don't 'need' this said crank pin... I've changed 6 zetec timing belts doing it the way I said.

Take the first plug out and put a screwdriver down in it, not hard to find TDC.
 
the post 98s you have to loosen the cam gears and so you really should let the crank rest against the pin. that way you know for sure that you are at TDC and not half a degree off.

even being just a little bit off really messes with the VCT system.
 
Also to find TDC on the cams you need that alignment tool (the metal strip).

It is possible to mark a tooth on each cam gear, and the crank gear, and then make a corresponding mark on the old belt. Count the teeth and replicate the marks on the new belt, and then place the new belt on. This makes it possible to do without the SST.

What was ford thinking when they decided to use non-keyed cam gears?
 
Wot was ford thinking?

Wot was ford thinking?

The non keyed cams are for timing precision and likely for emissions. With the stack up of tolerances between the crankshaft and the cam shaft as well as the differences in cam belt lengths and tooth to tooth distances, this method negates them all.

Besides, Hot rodders go to great lengths to be able to adjust their timing, offset keys, special adjustable sprockets, removing keys.

The VCT engine is not such a bear to time, just fork over the $20 for the timing pin and the cam plate. Works like a dream every time and you KNOW that the timing is EXACT, no counting or guessing.
 
mikeswartz said:
the zetec is a non-interference engine, the probelm is that over time carbon can build up on top of the pistons and bottom of the valves resulting in the damage. this generally happens to very high mileage vehicle with people that always use the cheapest-:censored::censored::censored::censored: gas out there on a consitent basis. and usually if a zetec does bend a valve, it just barely bends resulting in very low compression in that cylinder, not 0 compression like in a honda. over the past 12 years in a shop i have only seen two that did this and many, many, many that have come in with broken belts.
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My 99SE was poorly maintained and snapped the timing belt at 150K, threw a new belt on it and it was golden. Drove it to 175K then sold it.
 
The only shop that will do a zetec timing belt around here is the ford stealership. Are they that hard to change? I have a broken tensioner and would like to replace it before the belt goes, how much time am I looking at?
 
The delarship? Probably $700-900. Buy the cam tool and keeping shopping around at various shops, some one will be willing to do it.
 
KennyT772 said:
The only shop that will do a zetec timing belt around here is the ford stealership. Are they that hard to change? I have a broken tensioner and would like to replace it before the belt goes, how much time am I looking at?
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its not that hard of a job, expicially since you have a 97 so there is no VCT to have to worry about. the first time i did mine, i replaced the waterpump and all the timing belt pulleys. taking my time it only took me about 6 hours to tear it down, replace everything, and put it back together. a good shop should have it done in under that easily.
 
He probably doesn't want to undertake it himself (I know I didn't). Kenny, if you post in your regional forum, there has gotta be at least one person willing to help you. I had to drive 4 hours to Rhode Island to have someone help me do mine. But the money saved was worth it.
 
If I could get my hands on someones cam tool I could easily do it myself. One day at work and I would easily have it done. I pulled it up in AllData and it quoted a 3.8hr job.
 
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