I'm in the process of changing the timing belt and cam seal. I just recently did this on my '84 245 and it was a snap.
Not so the B230FD. What's this nonsense about removing the starter?
I was looking for an alternative method for locking the crank to remove the bolt. Scoured the FAQ, but saw nothing about jamming a screwdriver in the intermediate sprocket/pulley and use the old timing belt to hold things. Now I know why this is not a recommended way to do this. When I tried this, I could hear one 'click' that sounded a lot like a sprocket jumping one tooth. I'm assuming it was just the intermediate one that jumped. That doesn't worry me, but if it was the crank sprocket that jumped, will it harm the engine to attempt to start it? I plan to put it all together tomorrow so it can be driven while I wait for the special tool from IPD, but I don't want to take a chance on damaging the engine.
Am I being too careful or not careful enough?
Thanks,
Mark
--
'94 940 NA Wagon, '84 244t, '84 245 DL

Just do a search on "rope trick" to hold the crankshaft for pulley removal and replacement. It's cheap, simple, and it works. No crawling under the car, etc. It's an old time method I used for years before indulging in the special tool.

When you put the pulley back on, the torque is 44 ft. lb. then an additional 60°
--
Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

I would wait for the tool, I have one and it is a breeze to change the timing belt with the tool to hold the front pulley in place.

Dear Mark,

Good p.m. and may this find you well. If you can get under the car, you do not have to await the arrival of the special tool, to finish the job. Indeed, you don't need the special tool at all.

Read no further, if you cannot get under the car (i.e., if you do not have ramps, or a jack with two jackstands, minimum 3-ton capacity).

To keep the crankshaft from turning, while you install the timing belt, do as follows:

(a) Remove the aluminum brace at the front of the oil pan. It is secured by six hex bolts. You may need a "bit of muscle" to remove these bolts. Do not use impact tools, unless you have sensitive fingertips. Once the brace is removed, you will see the bottom of the ring gear exposed. (You might want to check the oil pan bolts: they tend to work loose, tighten 'til snug, and then 1/8 turn more. Use a criss-cross pattern, and make two passes, as you would, when doing head bolts. This keeps uniform pressure on the gasket.)

(b) To immobilize the crankshaft - while you remove the crank pulley bolt - insert a distance of 1/2" (no more) into the first ring gear tooth gap closest to the trans housing on the driver's side of the vehicle (US/Canada), a 1/4" wide flat blade screwdriver tip. When you turn the crank pulley bolt counter-clockwise to remove it, the ring gear will be stopped by the screwdriver tip. That will keep the crankshaft in place.

(c) Using a 26mm socket - and a breaker bar, if necessary - remove the crank pulley bolt. Before you remove the crank pulley, make a witness mark, with white-out, on the edge of crank pulley and on the timing belt case. This will speed re-installation of the crank pulley.

(d) Using a hard plastic mallet, gently tap the reverse side of the crank pulley (the side closest to the engine) to free the pulley. Tugging on the pulley, while rocking it from side-to-side, generally should work it loose and let you "walk" it along the crankshaft.

(e) Before you remove the crank sprocket, make a "witness mark" on the sprocket and on the timing belt case, so that when you go to replace the sprocket, you can more easily align the sprocket with the timing belt pulley.

(f) Change the timing belt. Align sprockets per the FAQs.

(g) Once you have turned the crank pulley as far as you can by hand, go under the car, and shift the screwdriver, to the opposite side (passenger side) of the ring gear. When you turn the crank bolt clockwise - to tighten it - the crankshaft's rotation will be prevented, by the screwdriver's tip.

(h) tighten the crank pulley bolt to 43 pound/feet (60 nM). Then, tighten by turing 60 degrees of arc (if possible).

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

spook

Dear Spook,

Thank you for your reply. I saw the aluminum brace you're talking about, but didn't realize it would expose the flywheel. I'll try that later today.
However, my poorly stated question had to do with jumping a tooth.
My goal is to change the belt and also the cam seal. It would seem to me that if the mark on the cam sprocket is aligned at TDC, I wouldn't have to bother with the marks on the crank or auxilliary sprockets (assuming I don't move either while changing the cam seal). Just line up the cam sprocket when installing the new belt. But since I jumped a tooth on what I believe to be the aux., I wanted to know whether or not one notch off on the crank sprocket (if it wasn't the aux that I jumped) would be enough to cause possible engine damage if cranked. I hear differing views on whether or not the B230FD engine is an 'interference' design and I'd rather not prove that it is with my engine.
As I reread this note, it appears to be as cryptic as the original, but I don't know how to explain my quandary any better.
Thanks,
Mark
--
'94 940 NA Wagon, '84 244t, '84 245 DL

Dear Mark,

Good a.m. and may this find you well. I was a bit tired, when I posted last night. The B230FD is NOT an interference engine. Thus, even if the timing belt breaks, the engine will not be damaged, in any way. However, the car will stop.

If my memory serves me correctly, if you have the #1 piston at TDC (top dead center), and align the other sprockets with the marks on the timing case, all should be well.

If you're doing to do the cam seal, why not do the others, while you're there?

The intermediate seal can be seated with one's fingers.

The crank seal is harder to seat, being larger. You can make a tool using 2" diameter Schedule 40 PVC Plumbing Pipe. The outer diameter of this pipe is the same as that of the crank seal. Thus, the pipe makes an excellent seal pusher.

You may be able to buy a 1-foot-long section (rather than a 10-foot length). Get an end cap. You need to drill a 5/8" diameter hole in the center of the end cap. To determine the length to which to cut the pipe (once you've removed the harmonic balancer and the crank sprocket), insert the crank bolt into the end of the crank shaft and turn it two complete turns. Then, measure from the underside of the crank bolt head to the face of the engine block. Subtract 1/2" from that length and cut the pipe. If the cut edge is not perfectly square (i.e., the cut edge is not 90 degress to the axis of the pipe, put that end under the end cap (no need to glue the end cap). Using sandpaper, polish the sharp edges (inner and outer diameters) at the end of the pipe section, that will go against the crank seal.

Clean the crankshaft surface with a solvent (MEK, methyl ethyl ketone, a chemical cousin of acetone) removes all dirt, grease, and other contaminants). MEK is very flammable, so do not smoke and keep away all open flames. Wear gloves: MEK is carcinogenic.

If there are any rough spots on the crank, smooth them with very fine sandpaper (320 grit or higher number [ = finer]). Clean the crankshaft surface again to remove any dust, grit, etc.

Wet the crankshaft with motor oil. Wet all seal surfaces with a mix of motor oil and grease (make a goo). Slide the seal to the point where the leading edge of the seal contacts the engine block face.

Then, put the seal pusher over the crankshaft. Insert the crank bolt end through the hole in the seal pusher's end cap, and turn the crank bolt into the crankshaft. Using a wrench, S L O W L Y turn the crank bolt. It will push the seal pusher forward, inserting the seal into its seat.

Use a small mirror to check the under-side of the seal, to make sure the seal lip doesn't "roll" (i.e., fold back or get crimped). If the edge has rolled, grip the seal edge with your fingernails, and pull the seal backwards (no easy to do on an oil-slick seal, but it can be done), and start again. Continue turning the wrench, until the seal's face is about 1/32-1/16" the block face.

Then, re-assemble.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

spook

Dear Spook,
Thank you very much for your input. As usual, you were right and will probably be right.
Let me explain. Taking off the aluminum bracing gave great access to jamming a screwdriver to lock the flywheel. The job is done and the car seems to run better with the knowledge that it has a new cam seal and belt. I should have followed your advice and done the other two seals at the same time, but I was in a hurry to get the car back on the road. One oil leak fixed and the others to follow, but at least I'll know how to do it next time.
Thanks again,
Mark
--
'94 940 NA Wagon, '84 244t, '84 245 DL

Spook, I have been reading your comments with interest and believe Im about ready to tackle a belt change on my wifes 94 940 B230FD. There is about 60K on the Gates belt but I dont think my wife wants to be towed again. Would you point me to a step by step procedure for doing this please? None of the stores around here carry a Haynes manual. Ive removed the upper cover to ease waterpump replacement but dont want to chance learning on the fly with the belt.
I maintain a small fleet of trucks, vans and V8 GM wagons so have a good supply of tools and basic skills.

I just got done with this job and Spooks comments helped immeasurably! Don't waste too much money on Haynes. I have them and they help a bit with pix that can be taken out to the car, but you'll get better advice on the board.
If you're used to GM stuff like I am, some things will be a bit different with bricks, but it's very similar once you get used to it.
You'll have no trouble changing the belt and once you've done it once, you'll wonder why you were concerned.
Mark
--
'94 940 NA Wagon, '84 244t, '84 245 DL

Dear cwh,

Good p.m. and may this find you well. See the FAQs, under FEATURES, above.

The basic procedures are all there. The only difference I've found is that crank pulleys tend to need being tapped/walked, to remove/install. That is, they do not "slide" along the crankshaft.

The timing belt on the FD engines has a 100K change interval (versus 50K on the B230F engine). Nonetheless, rubber deteriorates with age, so a change driven by the calender - versus the mileage recorder - makes sense.

Make sure you get the belt for the FD engine (it has round-edged teeth, versus the square-edged teeth on the belt for the B230F engine).

There is a Haynes manual (published in the UK), that covers the 740. The timing belt change procedures work for the 940.

There is no 940-specific aftermarket manual. As the car was only made for 4-5 years, I suspect a manual dedicated to the 940 won't be issued.

Given your background and tools, you'll breeze through this belt change.

Post back if you have further questions.

Yours faithfully,

spook

There is a Haynes manual for the 940 - UK market cars. Mine has the number 3249 on the front in the Haynes logo, and is ISBN #1 85960 249 5. I got it from Trollhattan in Baltimore. . Their website offers, under a heading "updated 8/28/2002" the Haynes manual for $24.50. That may have changed, but just contact them for info.

Re: timing belt - the book calls for the "remove the starter and have an assistant lock the ring gear teeth..." method of holding the crankshaft. Spook's suggested method is less trouble and would work just as well.

I've found the book moderately helpful. There are a number of good pictures and illustrations. The sections on manual trans and clutch make me think: "...if only".


--
Bob (son's 81-244GL B21F, dtr's 83-244DL B23F, 'my' 94-944 B230FD; plus grocery-getter Dodge minivan, hobbycar MGB, and numerous old motorcycles)

Removing the starter is only for manual trans cars. They don't have an inspection plate. Just did the t-belt on my 87 745 last weekend, only takes an extra five minutes to remove the starter (and another five to remove the old grease and oil from your forearms). That said, the special Volvo tool would make the job a true breeze.
--
86 740T/87 745GLE/96 960 Wagon

Dear RB,

Good p.m. and may this find you well. Thanks for the clear explanation. I've never worked on a manual trans, and thus did not know cars with the manual tranny don't have the aluminum brace at the front of the oil pan/back of the engine.

BTW, the use of a screwdriver blade to wedge the ring gear is found in the FAQs, which is where I learned about it.

Yours faithfully,

spook