When and Where to Change Timing Belt + Cost

[jtl]

The manual should identify items that require/recommend replacement; either via Maintenance Schedule (like the timing belt) or in the course of service. For example...
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Thanks, Intuit. After looking through the service manual I added this bracket:

Bearing Retainer - Product ID: YS4Z-3N324-AA (referred to as 'the halfshaft bracket' in the service manual)

Interestingly, the service manual makes no mention of discarding either tensioner, at least not where I'm looking (2015, Timing Belt (Removal and Installation, 303-01 Engine - 1.6L EcoBoost)). The accessory belt tensioner is $85 on Tasca ($137 MSRP) and looks pretty beefy, which is why I'm questioning whether it's worth the money to replace.

Your list is good. I also had the thermostat and housing changed while everything was apart. I had my dealership do it so I'm covered under warranty for their work. No complaints so far. The mechanic has over 28yrs of engine building under his belt!

Thanks, I will grab a new thermostat while I'm at it. Was there any particular reason you had the housing changed?

Is the thermostat accessible while doing a timing belt?
Because I understand that it's very difficult and time consuming to get to, so when I have my timing belt done next summer I may consider having my thermostat changed also, thanks.

Well I can see the housing here:



It took a good amount of effort to get to this point so I can definitely see why it should be replaced at the same time as the timing belt (and water pump).



I've come this far, so I might as well give it the works!

 

[Intuit]

That jack stand on the crash bar? I don't think that's designed to support any weight. I use two points of the cross-member behind the engine.

Just providing a slightly different perspective, born of experiences with a prior vehicle. First, aftermarket parts were absolute junk. Replacing parts that weren't actually worn or bad, always backfired. It took several examples before that sunk in. For anything as important (or just hard to get to) as what you're doing, at least use the overpriced dealer parts. No remanufactured or aftermarket parts.

 

[ogminlo]

Replacing parts that weren't actually worn or bad, always backfired. It took several examples before that sunk in. For anything as important (or just hard to get to) as what you're doing, at least use the overpriced dealer parts. No remanufactured or aftermarket parts.

Yes! You're already saving thousands of dollars on labor doing the work yourself, don't try to save $75 on timing belt tensioner or water pump. That said, I didn't hesitate to install a Gates accessory belt kit a couple months back. They make excellent belts and that stuff is on the outside of the motor. If their tensioner or idler pulley doesn't last 8 years like the factory parts, I can pivot back to OE Ford in an afternoon.

It took a good amount of effort to get to this point so I can definitely see why it should be replaced at the same time as the timing belt (and water pump).

That lower radiator hose (C1BZ-8286-A) you can see the top of in your photo is also a bear to get to. Since you're draining the coolant to do the water pump and the thermostat, consider replacing that. Or at the very least clean it off and inspect it for signs of wear like little cracks forming.

 

[jtl]

That jack stand on the crash bar? I don't think that's designed to support any weight. I use two points of the cross-member behind the engine.

Just providing a slightly different perspective, born of experiences with a prior vehicle. First, aftermarket parts were absolute junk. Replacing parts that weren't actually worn or bad, always backfired. It took several examples before that sunk in. For anything as important (or just hard to get to) as what you're doing, at least use the overpriced dealer parts. No remanufactured or aftermarket parts.

That jack stand is supporting the far side of the condenser to decrease torsion on the A/C tubes. Long story short I'm trying to avoid messing with that entire system because I didn't have the refrigerant vacuumed when I started the whole thing. You can sort of see another jack stand peeking out from behind the rotor assembly.

And for better or worse (better for the car, worse for my poor wallet at least in the near term) I'm going OEM for everything (with the exception of upgrading to a Mountune radiator).

Yes! You're already saving thousands of dollars on labor doing the work yourself, don't try to save $75 on timing belt tensioner or water pump. That said, I didn't hesitate to install a Gates accessory belt kit a couple months back. They make excellent belts and that stuff is on the outside of the motor. If their tensioner or idler pulley doesn't last 8 years like the factory parts, I can pivot back to OE Ford in an afternoon.



That lower radiator hose (C1BZ-8286-A) you can see the top of in your photo is also a bear to get to. Since you're draining the coolant to do the water pump and the thermostat, consider replacing that. Or at the very least clean it off and inspect it for signs of wear like little cracks forming.

You know it's funny you put it that way. If I have to replace some of these parts in a few months after deciding I didn't want to pony up the cash now, I'd happily pay double for them to get that time back. As for the radiator hoses... 9 years and 130k miles is a good run for a hose, and I see whoosh hoses (with free shipping!) will end up costing less than OEM.


I'm drifting pretty far off topic, but thanks everyone for your help. I look forward to finishing this job in a few weeks. Maybe I'll make a thread about the whole thing.

 

[Intuit]

I didn't hesitate to install a Gates accessory belt kit a couple months back. They make excellent belts and that stuff is on the outside of the motor.

This matches my experiences as well. Back in the day, the GoodYear Gatorback accessory drive belts were good as well. Dunno if they're still sold.

 

[jtl]

I finally received all the parts for this job. I did end up going with a Gates accessory belt kit partially because it has some pretty solid reviews but mainly because I am well over budget (oops!).

I've removed the crankshaft pulley bolt but I have not been able to remove the harmonic balancer. It has four spokes and no bolt holes, so none of the pullers I have fit. The only puller I've found that looks like it might work is $185 (https://schleytools.com/products/17...pulley-puller-set?_pos=1&_sid=7a8ada61f&_ss=r).

Has anyone hear run into this before? Is there a cheaper tool or a different method for removing it?

 

[jtl]

Has anyone hear run into this before? Is there a cheaper tool or a different method for removing it?

I'll keep posting my experience here in case it helps out anyone down the road.

I was able to get the crankshaft pulley off without a puller but now I need to replace it. I was trying to pry it off at the bottom and I broke a piece off the edge. If anyone else encounters the pulley itself not coming off, don't pry it like that lol.

What did work:
I sprayed lots of penetrating oil in there. I let it sit for a while. Then I rotated the pulley clockwise. The crankshaft couldn't turn with the pulley due to the pin that is in place (Locking Tool, Crankshaft, 303-748) to keep it from rotating past TDC, and the pulley came loose.

I also used an old chisel as a wedge behind the pulley which did push it out a little bit, though I wouldn't recommend this approach because it scratched up the back of the pulley. It may have helped a little bit but the pulley did not come off until I rotated it, so I am skeptical as to how much it helped. I will note that at that point it was rotating quite easily. I initially thought I had inadvertently rotated it clockwise and out of TDC and it was just rotating back, until the pulley came off.

 

[HAHAFiST]

107k on mine, but 2015 (MFD in 2014) so the belt is really 10 years old. I'm doing mine asap. Don't wait for 150k people, its idiotic. 150k is if you drive like a grandma, too.

 

[alex7]

These are my figures:- Timing belt - $57.90, Belt tensioner - $86.33, Water pump and gasket - $88.00, Serpentine belt -$27.50. These are the prices I paid shopping around. During the replacement I also had the overflow coolant bottle (leaking) replaced along with the hose which was brittle at $72.30 plus the radiator cap $27.27. Thermostat assembly $117.95. Now the expensive part, labour came to $2,200 and I used my Ford Pass points which brought the total charged to $2,376.50. Now the car will outlive me! So now I have enough points to get quite a few oil and filter changes!

Hello, so you ended up getting it all done at Star Ford in Glendale ? Any issues ? How long was turnaround time ? Thanks.

 

[Capri to ST]

I bit the bullet and had my timing belt, water pump and other related parts, and the other drive belt done. I decided to do it based on time, 8 years, not mileage because I'm doing low mileage and would basically never get there. As I said above, this is an interference engine and if you break a timing belt it's basically destroyed, so I did it now to be on the safe side .
I have an independent shop that I trust and have done business with for a long time and I'm friendly with the particular mechanic who did the job. Even though they're an independent shop, they have the Ford tools to hold things in place.
The labor came to about $1,150, much less than one member reported above, and the parts were about $600, which was much more. I could have sourced my own parts and saved money. This shop lets you do that and I brought my own coolant and some unrelated parts for other service, but I wanted them to get the timing belt parts so they would be responsible for them, even though that meant paying a considerable markup, and they got OEM parts from Ford for me.
The shop gives a 3-year/36,000 mi warranty on parts, which is good. Let's say I supply the water pump and it goes bad in 6 months. The place I got it from would be responsible for the part, but I'd be responsible for all that labor cost again to get to it and reinstall it.

 

[rallytaff]

I bit the bullet and had my timing belt, water pump and other related parts, and the other drive belt done. I decided to do it based on time, 8 years, not mileage because I'm doing low mileage and would basically never get there. As I said above, this is an interference engine and if you break a timing belt it's basically destroyed, so I did it now to be on the safe side .
I have an independent shop that I trust and have done business with for a long time and I'm friendly with the particular mechanic who did the job. Even though they're an independent shop, they have the Ford tools to hold things in place.
The labor came to about $1,150, much less than one member reported above, and the parts were about $600, which was much more. I could have sourced my own parts and saved money. This shop lets you do that and I brought my own coolant and some unrelated parts for other service, but I wanted them to get the timing belt parts so they would be responsible for them, even though that meant paying a considerable markup, and they got OEM parts from Ford for me.
The shop gives a 3-year/36,000 mi warranty on parts, which is good. Let's say I supply the water pump and it goes bad in 6 months. The place I got it from would be responsible for the part, but I'd be responsible for all that labor cost again to get to it and reinstall it.

How long did they warranty it for? Just asking. I have a comeback if I ever need one, the dealer did the work on mine!

 

[Intuit]

..... I wanted them to get the timing belt parts so they would be responsible for them, ............... The shop gives a 3-year/36,000 mi warranty on parts, which is good.

@rallytaff - He's implying (not stating directly) that they'll cover labor and parts.

 

[Capri to ST]

How long did they warranty it for? Just asking. I have a comeback if I ever need one, the dealer did the work on mine!

They warranty parts they supply and labor that they do for 3 years or 36,000 mi. However, you guys have got me thinking that if a part they supply is defective, they might cover the part, but not necessarily the labor to replace it if their labor wasn't defective, which in this case just turns out to be a huge number for a timing belt/water pump job.
@rallytaff i didn't mean to imply that you might have done anything wrong by supplying the parts yourself. You obviously saved a considerable amount of money, and part of the reason I got them to do it was just because I wasn't confident I knew all the parts that were necessary. Hopefully we'll both be fine for a long time and won't have to find out what happens if anything goes bad.

 

[BlueberryST]

Just finished installing the timing belt and water pump this weekend. Looks like it was the first change at 198,584 miles . Only did a short drive due to the lower coolant tank fitting being cracked (new hose on order), but it seems to be running smoothly and possibly better? Never had issue with how it ran and it could be placebo, we will see once I get the new coolant hose and coolant topped off. One thing I did notice for sure was turbo flutter off throttle that wasn't there before. Could be the stretch in the old belt was enough to impact timing? Double checking the Diverter valve connection when I replace the coolant hose to be sure.

I originally was doing the job to help get the car sold, but now I'm leaning torwards keeping it for longer. Outside of the Alfa GTV6, this is the best handling car I've ever had and I'd really miss it!

Big thanks to @Intuit for posting the instructions here. Would of been pretty lost with out them, you tube videos are usually too simple or way over complicate it!

 

[izackary]

Is there any point in changing/upgrading this passenger side motor mount during the process?

 

[kivnul]

The motor mount is super easy to get to normally, so there is no intrinsic benefit of changing it out during this process.