Evo8 Timing Belt

barney · Feb 22, 2004

The change interval is still 60,000 miles. I expected, with improving belt technology, that this interval would be maybe 90,000 miles by now. Nope.

Pre-removal includes the side undercover and the front undercover. The front undercover is a huge thing that is under the nose of the car. Also included in the list is front axle crossmember bar removal (I have no idea), engine roll stopper and most of the exhaust including the muffler. They also have you removing the power steering pump so you can access the b-belt. Well, the b-belt is on the backside of the engine and the pump is on the front. I don't know what to make of all this stuff. More reading is needed on my part.

The timing belt upper cover has four bolts holding it on and the lower only seven. That is good. The water pump has only one pulley - also good. There is only one accessory belt - wonderful.

The procedure for sticking in the screwdriver to check the balance shaft is still there. Also, they have you removing the crank bolt. Hey, they've finally come up with a crank holding special tool after we have been making them for years.

The timing marks on the cam sprockets point up and you line them up with marks on the rear timing cover. So, no more trying to see through the fender.

The belt tensioning section is the most interesting. First they tell you to slowly screw in the special tool until you can insert a wire in the tensioner hole. Next there is a section on compressing the tensioner in a vice. Then there is a section on using a 1/4 inch torque wrench to tighten the tensioner pulley, then a measuring the tensioner rod protrusion section. Finally, they say, if the tension is set correctly, the wire in the tensioner should slide in and out. So, all the ways we've learned to do this are now included in the Evo manual.

Also, the timing belt installation section is interesting. First you put the belt on the exhaust cam sprocket and clip it in place. Then using two wrenches, one on each cam sprocket bolt, you align the timing marks and then put the belt on the intake sprocket and clip it. I plan on painting marks just like I always have. It is the foolproof way.

KidintheTSi · Feb 22, 2004

Are you already changing yours? Are you already at 60k? Sounds like it's pretty much the same; maybe even easier.

barney · Feb 23, 2004

No, my car has less than a 1000 miles on it. I just received the service manuals for the Evo.

My last car was a '92 Laser. So, I was, of course, curious as to what had or had not changed in the intervening years, especially with the timing belt, which has been a bugaboo for a lot of mechanics.

KidintheTSi · Feb 23, 2004

Oh yeah that's cool. I was wondering man like WTF could you do to already need to change the timing belt?!? lol

diambo4life · Feb 23, 2004

barney said:
The change interval is still 60,000 miles. I expected, with improving belt technology, that this interval would be maybe 90,000 miles by now. Nope.

Pre-removal includes the side undercover and the front undercover. The front undercover is a huge thing that is under the nose of the car. Also included in the list is front axle crossmember bar removal (I have no idea), engine roll stopper and most of the exhaust including the muffler. They also have you removing the power steering pump so you can access the b-belt. Well, the b-belt is on the backside of the engine and the pump is on the front. I don't know what to make of all this stuff. More reading is needed on my part.

The timing belt upper cover has four bolts holding it on and the lower only seven. That is good. The water pump has only one pulley - also good. There is only one accessory belt - wonderful.

The procedure for sticking in the screwdriver to check the balance shaft is still there. Also, they have you removing the crank bolt. Hey, they've finally come up with a crank holding special tool after we have been making them for years.

The timing marks on the cam sprockets point up and you line them up with marks on the rear timing cover. So, no more trying to see through the fender.

The belt tensioning section is the most interesting. First they tell you to slowly screw in the special tool until you can insert a wire in the tensioner hole. Next there is a section on compressing the tensioner in a vice. Then there is a section on using a 1/4 inch torque wrench to tighten the tensioner pulley, then a measuring the tensioner rod protrusion section. Finally, they say, if the tension is set correctly, the wire in the tensioner should slide in and out. So, all the ways we've learned to do this are now included in the Evo manual.

Also, the timing belt installation section is interesting. First you put the belt on the exhaust cam sprocket and clip it in place. Then using two wrenches, one on each cam sprocket bolt, you align the timing marks and then put the belt on the intake sprocket and clip it. I plan on painting marks just like I always have. It is the foolproof way.

Barney, that stuff doesn't sound familiar at all.

j/k

That's nice it's all in a manual now although I doubt most EVO owners tackling these themselves.

barney · Feb 24, 2004

Some of it should sound familiar if you do your own timing belt. It is still the same 4G63 engine. The other suff under the hood has changed some.

My Laser never went to the shop and my Evo probably never will see the inside of one either. But, you are right, most of the original owners of these cars will never touch them with a wrench.

I was over at the Evo site and they have a thread going about oil. Most of the responders are recommending using dino oil??? I guess it is because the factory requires synthetic.

4G63Attack · Feb 24, 2004

barney said:
I was over at the Evo site and they have a thread going about oil. Most of the responders are recommending using dino oil??? I guess it is because the factory requires synthetic.

True, i also in the evolutionm.net forum. Most of the guys there do the little stuff to there cars, but went it comes to the big projects, they take it to someone else to do it.

barney · Feb 25, 2004

4G63Attack said:
True, i also in the evolutionm.net forum. Most of the guys there do the little stuff to there cars, but went it comes to the big projects, they take it to someone else to do it.

Yeah, that's what I should of said.

By the way, keep saving your money. The Evo8 is a brutal, rough riding, take no prisioners kind of car. In other words, a lot of fun.

4G63Attack · Feb 25, 2004

damn i'm missing out on it

. wish i got one

. Also i guest they have money to burn. not like us DIY kind of guys.

Van · Feb 25, 2004

barney said:
By the way, keep saving your money. The Evo8 is a brutal, rough riding, take no prisioners kind of car. In other words, a lot of fun.

You missed something.

By the way, keep saving your money. The Evo8 is a brutal, rough riding, stock clutch killing take no prisioners kind of car. In other words, a lot of fun.

It's sweet and the most vicious 4 cylinder on the planet.

This clutch job would be no fun at all in the driveway. Trust me.

barney · Feb 25, 2004

Well, when you buy a Mitsu product plenty of wrench time is a given. Are you saying that the job is too difficult for me? I guess I'll be trying it anyway when the time comes. :rockon:

Van · Feb 26, 2004

Nah, it's doable. But I'd not wish doing that job in the driveway on anybody. It kind of sucks as it is, on the lift with all of the right tools. When your time comes, maybe I can give you some of the shortcuts we've found.

barney · Feb 26, 2004

Oh, that would be great.

By the way, the more I peruse the Evo service manual, the more I become convinced it is an upgraded first generation DSM. I has the same engine, essentially the same front suspension, same drive shaft and a 1 gen rear suspension with an upgrade. The tranny and transfer are different. But then, those things needed to be changed.

Van · Feb 27, 2004

barney said:
By the way, the more I peruse the Evo service manual, the more I become convinced it is an upgraded first generation DSM.

And people think I'm crazy when I say that. Buwahahahaha!

I think that the 2G crowd really needs some more time to absorb this one.

I also believe that they went to the pull style clutch specifically to reduce the odds of the crank walking. Apparently they suffered enough of that and perhaps made a change that will solve for it. Time will tell.

Check out the valve train when you get a chance. A couple of things look interesting.

A new, superior, crankwalkless, 1G DSM from Mitsu with a 7 bolt block. Too bad they didn't eliminate the balance shafts.

barney · Feb 27, 2004

Well, in the valve train, I see they've gone to tapered valve springs and that the intake valves and exhaust valves each get different seals. That, and they've hung a bunch of crap on the valve cover you have to remove before pulling the cover.

I also notice they suggest having the piston up when removing the retainer so you don't lose a valve. Somebody suggested that a while back when we were talking about what it takes to do a valve seal job. Is I recall, we beat him up pretty good for that remark. Oops!

barney · Mar 1, 2004

Another tidbit from the service manual: the center differential is in the transmission, not in the transfer case as I have read. The transfer case accepts both front axles and the drive shaft. The front differential is located there.

DR.Spock · Mar 1, 2004

Van said:
[BThis clutch job would be no fun at all in the driveway. Trust me. [/B]

From what i hear from my buddy who was doin an EVO8 clutch job, it aint to fun in the first place. even on a lift.

diambo4life · Mar 1, 2004

DR.Spock said:
From what i hear from my buddy who was doin an EVO8 clutch job, it aint to fun in the first place. even on a lift.

Van would know since he works at Mitsu.

Van said:
It kind of sucks as it is, on the lift with all of the right tools.

Evo8 Timing Belt

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