While trying to install a new timing belt, I was trying to get the belt tight and spun the right cam pulley a 1/8 forward. Can I just rotate that cam till the marks line up or what? And how much play in the belt can I expect from the left cam to the water pump. Please help, thanks

 

Search this site for FSM. I just completed a complete rebuild on our 3.0 and the FSM was an invaluable tool. There are several threads on here that have links to all the FSMs.

 

Yes you can just turn the cam until the marks line up. And I can't remember exactly how much play there was, maybe 10 - 15 mm or so before the tensioner is installed. After the tensioner is installed there should be very little.

 

Easiest way to get the belt on the 3.0 is to take off the passenger side cam wheel and line belt up with the 2 marks on other cam and crank. Then put the belt on the wheel and put it on the shaft. Then line up marks and put the retaining pin back in the pass side wheel. If you haven't pulled the cam wheels off, they can be really hard to do. I use a 2 x 6 to hold them. There are other ways.

 

1. REMOVE THE LOWER TENSIONER. You can get away with loosening it, SOMETIMES. Put the belt on the CRANK first, with the crank at 0 degrees
2. Pull the belt TIGHT up to the right/driver side pulley, shift it slightly to the right to get the teeth in, and pop in back left a smidge.
3. DO NOT LEAVE ANY SLACK between the right/left pulleys! you'll need to do the same slight right with the pax side cam pulley to get the slack out.
4. ALL YOUR SLACK should be where the tensioner with take it out between the pax side cam pulley & crank.
5. Install the tensioner.

now spend hours buttoning everything back up....have fun~