How To: Mazda FS-DE Camshaft Installation

[Kansei]

yup cant get to it to without taking off the pulley if my memory serves me correct. good luck though, let us know what you end up doing.

I dropped 300 bucks on compressor and impact wrench... crank pulley bolt came off very easily.

But.. one of the 14mm bolts that I need to loosen to loosen one of the belts is stripped, probably me from when I installed my underdrive pulley. Is there any other place where I can loosen the belt?

 

[MikeBlueP5]

you mean the head of it is stripped or the actual threaded part is?

 

[Kansei]

you mean the head of it is stripped or the actual threaded part is?

The head. I got the belt off, I just hope I can get it back on. What I did was remove all the other bolts holding the AC compressor in place, so that it was only attached by the stuck bolt. I could then rock it back and forth, and I rocked it toward the engine all the way (so it was resting against the block) and then I was able to pull the belt off. When I did my UDP install I replaced the similar bolt on the alternator with a new one, so that one was easy to loosen. I should get the part for my new air chisel and just cut the bolt off and replace it tomorrow.

 

[MikeBlueP5]

might not be a bad idea if there is enough there to use a pair of vise grips on to remove the bolt without the head. Which bolt is it?

 

[Kansei]

might not be a bad idea if there is enough there to use a pair of vise grips on to remove the bolt without the head. Which bolt is it?

It is the bolt that attaches the AC compressor to the "slider thing" that lets it adjust in and out. It's really short, 14mm. I think it is the same bolt as the corresponding one on the alternator (which I replaced when I did my UDP install) so I could go to home depot and match that one. Crap I think they close at 09:30 or 10, looks like I might not be able to do that until tomorrow morning.

 

[MikeBlueP5]

ah i gotcha. yeah that could pose as a problem when trying to adjust it for any reason. Sometimes when bolts thread into aluminum the kinda get "stuck" one trick i learned in a machine shop was to take a give it a few "love" taps on the head with a hammer and it will help loosen it up a tad. Lubricant always helps in the form of WD or PB Blaster <--that stuff will own WD though. I would try to use some vice's on it before cutting or chiseling it off.

 

[Kansei]

Hmm well I can access the adjustment for the pretentioner now, but now that all the markings I made on the timing belt earlier have worn off, I have no clue what I'm doing. Do I just set the crank so that the little groove on the rod is pointing straight up? As I recall, when it was all attached before I had to rotate past that point a couple times before the I pointed toward the E, I'm pretty screwed now huh?

 

[MikeBlueP5]

hang on a minute and ill send you a page of the shop manual and help ya out

 

[MikeBlueP5]

ok im trying to do all this by memory and my cams have been in the car almost 25k miles now so forgive me if im wrong on any of it. But you need to make sure that #1 is TDC you can do this by pulling the plug and watching the piston crown. there should be a timing mark on the block and the lower plastic cover, if i remember correctly. then the lobes on the #1 cylinder on the exhaust cam should point toward the radiator and the lobes of the intake cam should point towards the firewall. The key on both should be pointed straight up, with the other slots in the pullies facing the same way as the #1 lobes. When everything is lined up right the I and E will be dead even together with the top of the head were the valve cover gasket goes (the smooth machined surface between the first cam caps.

 

[Kansei]

ok im trying to do all this by memory and my cams have been in the car almost 25k miles now so forgive me if im wrong on any of it. But you need to make sure that #1 is TDC you can do this by pulling the plug and watching the piston crown. there should be a timing mark on the block and the lower plastic cover, if i remember correctly. then the lobes on the #1 cylinder on the exhaust cam should point toward the radiator and the lobes of the intake cam should point towards the firewall. The key on both should be pointed straight up, with the other slots in the pullies facing the same way as the #1 lobes. When everything is lined up right the I and E will be dead even together with the top of the head were the valve cover gasket goes (the smooth machined surface between the first cam caps.

Thanks a ton I'll give that a try.

 

[MikeBlueP5]

here is a pic of what im talking about

 

[Kansei]

here is a pic of what im talking about

Thanks, I got the belt on. All was well, until I noticed that the tensioner wasn't springing back. I manually turned it back into the tightened position, and then the tensioner spring fell onto the ground. It's definitely quite fatigued. *sigh*

Would an auto parts store carry the tensioner spring?

 

[MikeBlueP5]

i doubt it and is shouldnt be stretched, there is a certain way of doing it. I ran into this problem too. ill get that page of the manual. Also make sure when you get everything back together before you put all the covers back on make sure you rotate the whole assembly (put just the bolt back in the crank, and use it) two times to make sure all the timing marks are dead on. if not redo it, trust me dont even try and run it. if its off a little it will run and not mess up the pistons or valves, but it will run like s***, and you will have to redo it all again. but lemme get that tensioner page.

 

[MikeBlueP5]

ok heres the instructions on the tensioner spring, as you can see with it off the car the free length should be right under 1.5 inches.

 

[Kansei]

ok heres the instructions on the tensioner spring, as you can see with it off the car the free length should be right under 1.5 inches.

Yeah it's like 3 inches. Advance Auto Parts said that I'd have to get that part from the dealer, but I think I'll call around the other auto parts stores first. I would think the tensioner / tensioner spring would be fairly generic enough that an auto parts store would have it.

Are Mazda parts departments usually open on Sundays? I better put the new tube in the rear tire of my mountain bike because it looks like I'll be riding the 7 miles to campus for my 8am class tomorrow

Thanks for the help.

 

[MikeBlueP5]

i dont think dealership parts are open, and as far as the spring goes, i dont know if its anything special or not. You could try the different parts stores and see if you could match it up. Good luck though, lemme know if you need anymore help.

 

[Kansei]

i dont think dealership parts are open, and as far as the spring goes, i dont know if its anything special or not. You could try the different parts stores and see if you could match it up. Good luck though, lemme know if you need anymore help.

AutoZone sorta lists the tensioner, but then says that it is not available in store or online, not even as a special order. Looks like I'll be going to the parts department tomorrow, I hope they are open late enough. When one of my roommates wakes up I'll be able to get to the other auto parts stores to just see if they have a spring that would match up. I hope I don't need to replace the whole tensioner but I don't see why I would need to. If I have to wait until tomorrow I'll get a new timing belt too and get the #3 engine mount off, I got some oil on the timing belt so that probably isn't too good for it.

 

[MikeBlueP5]

yeah i got a little oil on my belt too, but i wiped it off, i guess if it breaks it breaks, they are non interference engines anyway, so no harm done. I didnt even take off the mount on mine, but i guess you kinda have to to put a new belt on. As far as the tensioner goes it shouldnt be bad. Just like the manual i posted above said, if it rotates (i believe with the allen wrench) with little or no resistance to replace it.

 

[Kansei]

Thanks everyone for the help, the job is done! w00t w00t!

 

[MikeBlueP5]

sweet! hope she treats ya well afterwards. what did you do about the spring?