How To: Timing belt and Water pump replacement

Post by **occasional demons** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 10:54 pm

Timing belt a bit too tight will make the "supercharger whine".

86fazer · Post by **86fazer** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 6:31 pm

hmm good point guess I can ease a lil tension off when I replace all the motor mounts and sterring & suspension bushings this fall... too damm hot here in the desert for greasin

darthroush · Post by **darthroush** » Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:30 pm

This video was found and posted by someone over on DF. Thought I'd share it. A video walkthrough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8_0TgAFm4Q

He has quite a few other Neon videos too...

greybox · Post by **greybox** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 7:42 pm

So is it easier to do the timing belt or swap in a new motor? Same motor, same specs but I found one with 68k that would be cheaper than the belts and tools to pull the pulley.

garfield3887 · Post by **garfield3887** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:01 pm

It would be easier to just do the timing belt imo... Lots more work switching the whole engine out. I used this How-to about 8 months ago to do my timing belt and water pump and it was fairly simple, just takes some time and patience.

greybox · Post by **greybox** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 1:10 pm

Thanks for the input...not looking forward to either but figured I better weigh my options.

Post by **occasional demons** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:51 pm

Depending on the miles you drive, at 68,000, you are looking at the same situation in another 37,000 miles. This might last some ppl until the car rusts away, or maybe a couple of years. The timing belt is easier, I would go that route.

dvon17 · Post by **dvon17** » Tue May 01, 2012 2:19 am

I'm scared to do this myself

NEON PARABOLA · Post by **NEON PARABOLA** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:55 am

^ I'm in the middle of mine, just go into it with an open mind and no time frame/time crunch. I'm not stressed at all, cause I know that one way or another, the car will get done and running again.

NEON PARABOLA · Post by **NEON PARABOLA** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:14 am

also, should i remove the cam sprocket, or just bend the timing cover to get the water pump out?

stdlystdmufn · Post by **stdlystdmufn** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 12:37 pm

i would remove the cam gear, the timing cover will break if you try to bend it at all.

NEON PARABOLA · Post by **NEON PARABOLA** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 12:54 pm

Okay, in order to get the gear off I will need to rotate it so i can get a lock on one of the bolts behind it. (prevent it from moving) When i go to re-install the gear, how will i know the gear is lined back up with my marks? The gear is notched with a key way, right? So theoretically when i go to put it back on it will be obvious that i have to rotate it back to the marks, right?

sorry, first time and I do NOT want to loose my alignment on the cam gear

Post by **occasional demons** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:29 pm

The easiest way to get the cam bolt loose, is to buy a $25 pair of chain Vise Grips, and clamp them around the sprocket. Then use them to hold against the wrench. Trusting a 6mm screw doesn't cut it for me. I have used the vise grips quite a few times now. One of the best things I bought for this job. I made a bracket the first time to hold the gear, and the bolts that went through the sprocket bent, trying to break the bolt loose. Thus the vise grips.

If you are not doing the following, the $25 is cheaper than valves...

The safest way, is to remove the valve cover, and loosen the rocker shafts. Then you can turn the gear where ever you want, and won't hurt a thing. If you are removing the gear, spend the $8 for a new cam seal too. It is very simple to change, and probably needs it anyways. Kind of a waste, going through the trouble, and not doing it.

NEON PARABOLA · Post by **NEON PARABOLA** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 6:00 pm

got it off, I just stuck an 8mm nut driver on one of the cover bolts and put a breaker bar on the sprocket, came right off

thanks guys!

NickKo · Post by **NickKo** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:56 pm

occasional demons wrote:The easiest way to get the cam bolt loose, is to buy a $25 pair of chain Vise Grips, and clamp them around the sprocket.

I like this idea..... Thanks for the suggestion !

Looks like I am going to have to add this tool, to my garage.
One can never have too many tools, you know.

- Nick

NEON PARABOLA · Post by **NEON PARABOLA** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:16 pm

just fyi, I, a novice, was able to do this in my free time with my wife in about a week, working a hour every night or so. Don't be afraid of this, and dive in!

Dennis Blewett · Post by **Dennis Blewett** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 3:00 am

At the moment, I'm changing the radiator. I'm having a hard time getting underneath the vehicle to remove the back hose on the radiator, but it shouldn't be an issue. What I'm wondering is if when I take out the fan and radiator, should I leave them out and replace the radiator and re-install the fan after changing the timing belt and water pump? Would leaving out the radiator and radiator fan give me more play and make it easier for me to move around stuff?

2000 Dodge Neon

FAC3L3SS · Post by **FAC3L3SS** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 8:14 am

I never took any of that stuff out when I did timing. I literally just yanked the pulley stuff and motor mounts. There's plenty of room down there, it's just a bit of jacking the motor up and down.

Post by **occasional demons** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 12:47 pm

If you are doing it all at the same time, just leave them out. Extra room is always nice to have, and since the stuff will already be out of the way....