How do you replace timing belt on 1991 Geo Storm?

Answer 1

The question you ask is tooinvolved for a proper answer. You need to go to a car parts store, and get arepair manual for your car.They cost about $16.00Or, go to a Public Library.

Support engine from top with hoist or underneath the oil pan using a jack and large flat block of wood. Remove Power Steering pump and reservoir and set it aside. Adjust alternator to slack and remove alternator belt. Remove passenger side motor mount from frame and from motor. Remove timing cover. Remove old belt (loosening tensioner if necessary) and clean timing gears thoroughly. Recommend replacing tensioner. Be careful when removing or installing the tensioner because it threads into a weak part of the oil pump cover. Set crank gear to the 12:00 mark on the oil pump cover, and cam gear mark to 9:00 (level with cylinder head) with dowel at 12:00. Install new belt and make sure the slack is taken up in the side towards the firewall. Using an Allen wrench apply tension to the belt and temporarily tighten the tensioner. Do not get the belt too tight but no slack either. Turn the motor over several times forward and back to check for interference and for slack in the belt. If you feel interference aside from the normal valve spring force you have either put the belt on wrong or have bent valve(s). If there is slack in the belt, loosen the tensioner and take up the slack again. When you are ready put blue threadlocker on the tensioner bolt and tighten it to just under spec. Be careful not to apply diagonal force on your torque wrench or you will break the oil pump.

At this point you can remove the spark plugs, coil primary wire, and ECM relay, and do a compression check to ensure that you do not have bent valves. If the result of the compression check is good put it all back together. Tighten bolts to the specification listed in the manual. Use red loctite on the crankshaft bolt, they have been known to come out randomly without it. Be prepared for the motor mount through bolt to fail. GM doesnt have it anymore and is listed as a 10.9. I replaced mine with a grade 8.8 and it worked fine. Replace the power steering pump, reservoir, and all belts, lower the motor, and start er up. If there is excessive noise from the timing belt area you have tensioned the belt too much which will shorten its life, or else the tensioner bearing is bad and must be replaced. Otherwise you are done, check the timing and enjoy.

By the way replacing your camshaft and crankshaft seal(s) is economical to do at this point. Don't gouge the shafts when doing it, just poke something into the seal diagonally to get ahold of it and pull it out. MAke sure the seal spring came out with it. To get to the seals the cam and crank gears have to be removed. The cam gear just has a few bolts on the face. The crank gear should slide right off the crankshaft. If it doesn't come off peacefully, don't bother with it unless you are ready to buy a new gear. The reason is that the lip around the back of the gear is easily damaged and without it the timing belt will get shredded or ride off the gear. To get mine off I had to wedge it off with two screwdrivers in the back, and use a propane torch and kroil to heat the gear up and work it off the shaft. Use a good anti-seize or oil when you reinstall the gear onto the shaft.

Also economical to do is replace the water pump. It bolts right into the block. With the water pump you might as well replace your thermostat and heater/radiator hoses too. Don't forget the throttle body heater hoses and the o-ring at the thermostat inlet pipe.