Alfa Pages

[sf49er]

Now it's time to turn the attention to the timing belts and replace them. Seems to be straightforward enough. Especially with the hydraulic lifters where the cam marks are on the pulley rather than the cam itself. My question is -- in the workshop manual it suggests removing the "canshaft support covers".

However, the procedure for the R&I doesn't seem to involve any work or checks that would require these to have been removed. Everything is done from the front of the car and while it might be nice to see when the cams are not keeping the valves open, it seems to be an unnecessary step to remove these. Six bolts on either side, three of which are accessible only from below, it seems.

Anyone has any idea which these should be removed?
_________________
Bo M. Hasselblad
Linkoping, Sweden
Secretary of Club Alfa Romeo Svezia
sekreterare@alfaromeo.org

[Admin]

Hi

I would presume by the camshaft support covers they mean the covers fitted to the early screw adjusted valve heads and the later shimmed valve adjustment heads rather than the late hydraulic tappet heads.

Removing the bolts locating the camshaft carriers on a hydraulic tappet engine will do you no good at all unless you remove the cylinder head bolts.

Doing the cam belts isn't too bad on an 8V. Just a pain getting the belts back on.

All the best

Keith
_________________
I owe, I owe, its off to work we go.
Bimota Forum
Stafford Christmas Lights

[sf49er]

Then I wouldn't have been more confused than usual!

But they actually mean the camshaft housing! No 1 in this picture:

http://eper.fiatforum.com/eper/navi?MOD_COD=133&COUNTRY=012&GRP_COD=101&CAT_COD=W6&SBMK=R&DRIVE=D&MAKE=R&COMM_MODEL=33&ALL_FIG=0&LANGUAGE=3&PREVIOUS_KEY=PARTDRAWDATA&NEW_HTTP=TRUE&ALL_LIST_PART=0&SB_CODE=-1&KEY=PARTDRAWDATA&PRINT_MODE=0&EPER_CAT=SP&GUI_LANG=3&WINDOW_ID=1&SGRP_COD=1&SGS_COD=0&DRW_NUM=3

Your response reflect my reaction and thus I draw the conclusion that there is really nothing rearwards of the belt housing that needs to be removed.

Thanks for the reply and I'm sure it's going to be a breeze
_________________
Bo M. Hasselblad
Linkoping, Sweden
Secretary of Club Alfa Romeo Svezia
sekreterare@alfaromeo.org

[Admin]

Hi

That seems mad, as you couldn't really fit the belts until that housing is in place.

All the best

Keith
_________________
I owe, I owe, its off to work we go.
Bimota Forum
Stafford Christmas Lights

[eagle3]

If age unknown it's worth changing tensioners/rollers and water pump at the same time. The old water pump can be a bugger to get off. Large hammer required.

If your french is any good here's a good guide by Zenith http://alfaimola.free.fr/technique/moteur/dist/index.html
_________________
Alfa33 QO 1984
Alfa33 1.3i.e. 1994

[Admin]

Hi

Seems half the time the idea is to smash the water pump out.

An idea that doesn't really appeal.

All the best

Keith
_________________
I owe, I owe, its off to work we go.
Bimota Forum
Stafford Christmas Lights

[sf49er]

Being a cheapskate and assuming that the tensioners couldn't have gone bad in 60k km's I happily got all the way ready to replace the belts -- only to see that the tensioners had bits missing fron the guiding rims, or whatever they're called. So, no purpose in replacing the belt with the tensioners faulty to reassembled everything and will get a set of tensioners.

Nothing of note when working on it except that the lower bolts securing the belt covers actually are accessed from the back side. I assumed they were recessed deep inside the "holes" in the cover, until I called a fellow Swedish Alfa Club member with numerous boxer rebuilds on his hands and he informed me that they're accessed from the rear. However, one was stuck enough to make the receiviing nut just turn around in the plastic. Hopefully I'll retrieve one from the parts 33. Not sure if it's possible to remove the cover without removing the alternator and power steering belts.

On inspection the belt hadn't frayed or looked otherwise affected, except that it's obviously a "few" years old, judging from the "skiny" appearance of tje cog-side of the belt.

I'll keep the forum posted on future progess!
_________________
Bo M. Hasselblad
Linkoping, Sweden
Secretary of Club Alfa Romeo Svezia
sekreterare@alfaromeo.org

[sf49er]

... and yes -- there was of course no need to remove any cam cover as descibed in the shop manual. Have no idea what that refers to, except that it's a relic from the earlier models!
_________________
Bo M. Hasselblad
Linkoping, Sweden
Secretary of Club Alfa Romeo Svezia
sekreterare@alfaromeo.org