Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance Timing with the hydraulic camshaft sprocket

VCT = the devil

dec1000,

is there a procedure how to on this sprocket idea. I just locked the cams and swapped the parts plus a new belt. The tension in any belt is distributed evenly, theres no such thing as variable tension in a belt once the motor is spinning.

I just dont feel like loosening up the sprockets, after i finished up the timing between the intake and exhaust. The mechanics manual never mentioned looseing the sprockets and my mechanics havent mentioned it either. I dont want to cause more damage by blindly following this idea.

I can email you the instructions for doing a timing job which clearly states to do this in there. If they are not loose, When you tighten your tensioner it takes the slack out of only the side the tensioner is on. There could be slack between your cam sprockets and on the other side. If your way worked for you, good. This is the correct way.
With the VCT it is very important that you get the timing correct or you will get a check engine light with the PO1381 or PO1383 code.

can you please email me the instructions. Thanks

BTW i dont know how ur engine is but i did it without loosening the sprockets, just varied the spring up and down and no check engine codes. The car runs as it always did, nice clean idle.

I got those error codes when my bottom idler went out. But now its just the offcenter problem probably from that bottom idler again. I need to check the case and see how its running.

The vct feature isnt that bad, its pretty easy to set it up. Plus the belt will have the same tension with the engine running. The tensioner just takes slack out of the intake i believe, the exhaust to crank will ALWAYS have more tension since the motor is pulling on it. Thats why theres a tensioner. Your concept makes senses if there was no tensioner, then both sides would need to have equal tension and the crank would still pull more on one side.

In any case i want to see these instructions, i saw ur pics but it seems like it might be too much of a hassle. I just wanted to clear this up for future users so we have a finalized method. My mechanic fried does these timing belts in like 30 min LOL....

Off topic Question
Does VCT engines have different size idler pullies than Non VCT? I was looking at the idler pullies in the provided pics and they seem different from mine.

no they are the same, the vct just has a spring. The spring assembly makes it look bigger, they have the same pitch as the non vct motor.

yes they are different.

The haynes manual i have shows them differently. The orientation along with the design varies. I believe the tensioner is larger and is not as adjustable as the vct one. I for one would rather have the non vct engine. Thats why its non vtec honda civic from now on.

Im getting the honda civic over this crap, too much to worry about and high maintenance costs
with a loss at the end of the day. Plus no resale value, ford should shape up a bit and make better cars.