Replacing the Timing Belt

It is advisable to perform this operation only if you have good mechanical knowledge: a simple mistake could seriously damage the engine. During this maintenance, it is also recommended to replace the auxiliary belt along with its tensioner and the water pump.

To access the crankshaft pulley, you must first remove the right front wheel and the plastic cover located directly in front of the pulley (secured with metal clips to the chassis and some screws to the splash guard); then loosen the auxiliary belt tensioner (with a 15 mm spanner) and remove it. Using a 10 mm spanner, unscrew the fixing bolt of the engine cover, detach it, and remove it (you will need to pull out the oil dipstick, which will need to be repositioned later): you can locate the timing belt cover on the side.

Using a 6 mm Allen key, unscrew the 4 fixing bolts of the crankshaft pulley and remove it from its seat; then unscrew the 4 fixing bolts of the protective cover (with a 10 mm spanner) and remove it. At this point, you need to remove the engine mount to access the timing belt cover and have sufficient maneuvering space: therefore, apply a jack under the oil sump to support the engine and unscrew the fixing bolts of the mount (2 at 19 mm, 2 at 17 mm, and 1 at 13 mm) and remove it from its seat; then unscrew the bolts of the bracket (leg) connected to the engine and remove it; finally, detach and remove the timing belt cover.

Next, remove the auxiliary belt tensioner: simply unscrew the corresponding fixing bolts and those with the Allen head of the adjacent bracket. Now, before removing the timing belt, it is absolutely necessary to align the timing marks present on the camshaft pulley, on the crankshaft pulley, and finally on the flywheel.

Once the aforementioned marks are aligned, loosen the tensioner and remove the timing belt. Before installing the new belt, it is recommended to replace the water pump and the tensioner.

At this point, apply the new timing belt, ensuring it adheres correctly to the pulleys without rotating them, and tension it by properly adjusting the tensioner (it is suggested to preload the tensioner spring with a pair of pliers inserted into the appropriate holes and not with a mole wrench).

Then turn the crankshaft pulley two turns clockwise (the thermodynamic cycle of the four-stroke engine, in fact, develops completely in two rotations of the crankshaft) and check again that the timing marks are correctly aligned.

Then install the new auxiliary belt tensioner and the new belt, along with everything previously removed.