Timing Belt

[RS12Turbo]

Just curious what brand timing belt everyone recommends for the ca-det. I've got a GoodYear Gator Back belt on mine......and it has failed already.........and the car hasn't even run yet.......only turned over without firing.Trying to figure out if I installed it in-correctly, of if Gator Back belts just suck.

Thanks

[float_6969]

Nissan OEM. Had it on there for about 20K miles w/o any problems.

[Secret squirrel]

Just curious what brand timing belt everyone recommends for the ca-det. I've got a GoodYear Gator Back belt on mine......and it has failed already.........and the car hasn't even run yet.......only turned over without firing.Trying to figure out if I installed it in-correctly, of if Gator Back belts just suck.

Thanks

unless u have the wrong size...or improper tension causing the belt to slip and mess up timing then who made it isnt gunna matter...if ur positive everything esle checks out i.e. spark, fuel, engine breathing, then u improperly installed it.

i have a Gates belt from napa, OEM without the stealership price. Gates was the OEM supplier to nissan iirc.

SS

[themadscientist]

Nissan OEM has served me well for years. There are a few aftermarket belts though if you are so inclined.

[davidricardo86]

Gates belts are made to meet or exceed factory performance. I believe they garuantee it or have it in writing. Why not just use OEM? Or Greddy, Tomei, or HKS if you got the money.

[RS12Turbo]

I would order a Greddy one......but I'm trying to get it running this week, so I can drive it home 5 hrs away. It's been here a year now.......but had I known, I would of ordered a Greddy belt before I got my clip when I ordered all of my other gaskets and belts.I ended up ordering a Dayco belt, which comes with a 1 yr warranty.

Does it sound like I installed the other one incorrectly? I thought I followed the FSM to a tee.....but now I find myself second guessing. When I installed the other belt and rotated the assembly by hand, the belt would start working itself foward off of the tensioners, crank, and cam sprockets. I loosened the tensioner, and pushed it back on......but when I took the top timing cover off after cranking it several tmes without firing, I noticed the belt had once again worked part way off of the pulleys. When I tugged on the belt it broke down under the crank pulley....from where 7-10 ribs worn completly through.Is there a reason why the belt worked itself off? The complete assy. did rotate easily by hand, so nothing had binded up.

[biosehnsucht]

Nissan OEM - they have built in alignment marks on the belt to make installation a breeze.

[MasterZenki]

i believe i have a goodyear and they are made to meet oem because mine works..has been working...and based on how it looks so far...it will hold for a good time

[sideways danny]

you've fitted the belt wrong. have you got the washers either side of the crank sprocket in place? and have you turned the tensioner in the correct direction as I've seen someone turn it the wrong way and the belt rubbed on the top cover

I've used Gates, Goodyear, Quinton Hazell and many other brands without any problems ever

[RS12Turbo]

you've fitted the belt wrong. have you turned the tensioner in the correct direction as I've seen someone turn it the wrong way and the belt rubbed on the top cover

I think this is the case.......I just put the new belt on, like I did before.....rotated the crank 2-3 times, and the belt started moving foward off the sprockets again.I think I am tightening the tensioner wrong. What I've been doing is after I put the belt on, and rotate the engine 2-3 times clockwise, I then turn the tensioner fully counter clockwise with the hex until it locks into place, and the hex is at 12 o'clock. After reading MORE carefully at the FSM on page EM-13, step 6 says "slowly swing tensioner with hex wrench clockwise and counterclockwise 2-3 times", then tighten tensioner locknut". After this the hex is at the 6 o'clock position.... If I do it this way, the belt doesn't move foward. The FSM doesn't mention turning the tensioner completely counterclockwise until it locks into place......so I think this is where I screwed up.What do you guys think?? By NOT rotating the tensioner fully counterclockwise until it locks into place, does this get the belt tight enough?

[themadscientist]

I let lock the tensioner back, put the belt on being sure it is tight on the leading side of the spockets, release the nut on the tensioner so it can swing out then give it a couple of light jerks with the allen wrench and let it settle back into place before locking the nut down.

[float_6969]

This is almost exactly what I do. Since it's not really self adjusting though, I will notice some slack every once in a while, and I'll loosen the nut, swing it back and forth a little with the allen wrench and then tighten it back up again. I dont' have a CAS though and no timing belt cover, so it's pretty easy to get to in my case.

[driftin8ez]

Sorry to thread jack but is the ca18det an interference motor? Broken T-belt = Broken valves?

[themadscientist]

Well, after those pesky valves are bent out of the way it has no more interferance.

[float_6969]

I think valve are ricey anyway...

[RS12Turbo]

Well..........that was it! Got the belt tensioned up, hopefully tight enough, and now the belt doesn't come foward anymore on the sprockets.Also, it fired up for the first time.......so I'm happy Seems to idle nice and smooth. Still have to take it out for a test run, which I'll do tomorrow.Thanks everyone for their input

[positron1]

I think valve are ricey anyway...

Nice car!