RB timing belt, idler, tensioner, & water pump install how to w/pics
8:33 PM 9/27/2008
No i didn't search, just sharing what I did today. Sorry if someone else has posted a how to. Here's my version. I installed my timing belt, water pump, idler and tensioner pulley today Here's a quick how to guide for the RB kids. First drain radiator and remove
Remove all drive belts
Remove Cam Angle Sensor, and upper timing belt cover
Use 27mm socket on crank pulley and align your cams on their marks as well as crank at Top Dead Center. On the Crank pulley it is 2nd mark to the right
Use a puller like this one with two 6mm long bolts.
Tighten bolts into corresponding holes on crank pulley. To avoid turning the crank off of your marks, I used a chain wrench to hold the pulley in place while I turned the puller
Remove lower cover, double check your marks. Use 5mm allen wrench tool on tensioner and rotate clockwise, and remove timing belt. It's also a good idea to replace water pump, idler pulley, and tensioner pulley while you have everything off. Remove tensioner, idler, and then you can get to all water pump bolts. There are 4 different size bolts on it. 2 short 10mm bolts, 2 longer 10mm bolts, 1 6mm bolt, and the rest are 8mm bolts.
Clean all mating surfaces, and apply nissan oem gasket silicone. Install water pump and torque 10mm bolts to 35ft lbs, 8mm bolts to 15 ft lbs, and the 6mm bolt to 11 ft lbs per FSM. In the FSM it is in Kilogram Meter, but that is the standard equivalent. Torque pattern is clockwise starting with the 6mm bolt.
Install idler pulley and torque to 40 ft lbs. Install tensioner pulley with spring on the right side of the lower stud. Be sure that the convex thin washer is facing outward on the pulley itself, then the flat washer, then the nut. Rotate pulley with 5mm hex/allen clockwise and lightly tighten 14mm nut. Install Timing belt starting with the Right cam and work in clockwise direction with the belt. Ensure that all the marks on the belt align properly with the marks on the cams/crank. Release nut on tensioner. Rotate crank clockwise 1/4 of a turn so that tensioner adjusts. Tighten tensioner nut. Rotate the motor over a few times and check timing marks each pass.
Install lower timing cover, crank pulley, upper cover.... and everything else. Hope this helps someone.....
Nissan OEM part numbers:
13028-20P25 --- RB20 Timing Belt 13074-58S00 --- RB20 Idler 13070-5L300 --- RB20 Tensioner Pulley 21010-70TY5 --- RB20 Water Pump
nice write up. Are all the parts available through a US dealer? What was your cost to do this maintence.
I ordered through a local nissan dealer through my shop, so I have whole sale pricing. Came out to be $155, but took one month to get some items. Nissan Motorsports had only a few items in stock. One place that does carry it online with basically the same pricing can be found here:
Didn't look too bad to do it with the motor in the car. I did mine when it was out tho lol.
haha you're a smart man! This is the first time I've touched anything on my engine in the 4 years I've been driving it. I figured it was time I didn't want to lose the motor over negligence
align your cams on their marks as well as crank at Top Dead Center. On the Crank pulley it is 2nd mark to the right
I thought each mark was 5 degrees? TDC should be at the first mark. the second mark would be 5* btdc? please correct me if I am wrong. if so i need to pull my belt. thanks!
well what really matters is the dot on the crank gear itself. If you have your cams and the crank matched up, you spun it over by hand, quadruple checked your marks, then you're good!
Hi. I was wondering if you could help me out. I just had the belt tensioners and belts replaced on my Infiniti Q45. Just today I heard a loud bang and the Batt/alt light immediately came on and the car started overheating. I looked under the hood and that pulley right at the bottom in the center of this pic had fallen off and jammed in the radiator fan and it appeared some of the belts were missing. What is that pulley? Is that one of the belt tensioners? I'd like to know what it is before I go back to the mechanic that did it because I think they just messed it all up. Thanks for any help.
Hi. I was wondering if you could help me out. I just had the belt tensioners and belts replaced on my Infiniti Q45. Just today I heard a loud bang and the Batt/alt light immediately came on and the car started overheating. I looked under the hood and that pulley right at the bottom in the center of this pic had fallen off and jammed in the radiator fan and it appeared some of the belts were missing. What is that pulley? Is that one of the belt tensioners? I'd like to know what it is before I go back to the mechanic that did it because I think they just messed it all up. Thanks for any help.
Are you talking about the big one at the bottom-center (It accommodates 3 belts)? The center set of grooves are somewhat rusty in this picture.
If so, that would be the main crank pulley / harmonic balancer. If it has come off, that is a _bad_ thing.
Also, Welcome to Nico, This is the RB Sub-forum. You may find more help in the Q45 or VH45 section.. (VH45 should be the motor that is in your Q.
Thanks so much for the info. Yeah sorry I knew this wasn't the right forum but I couldn't find anything similar in the search and when I saw the pics in this thread it looked very similar to my engine so I figured I'd ask here. Do you think the mechanic putting the tensioners and the belts on wrong could have caused this part to come off?
Also my power steering does not work. My rack and pinion needs to be replaced so I've been driving it without power steering for a while. The belt was removed from the power steering pump. Anyway when the mechanic just replaced all the belts he put that one back on because he said it was covered under warranty. Could that have caused a problem with the power steering not working and the power steering pump possibly seized or something? Thanks for any info. I really appreciate it.
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Here's a quick how to guide for the RB kids. 
I didn't want to lose the motor over negligence 
