New 164 owner. Some timing belt questions.

[mrman]

Hi all, recently bought my first alfa (my first car in fact), a 1990 164 12v. Want to get my timing belt done ASAP as I really want to avoid bending all my valves!!. Looking to do it myself if possible. I know its a rather difficult job but I should be alright (i hope) as ive done a few big projects in the past (rebuilding motorbike engines). Can someone please point me in the direction of the best guide/service manual for this job? And i know its a long shot but is there anyone in sydney who would be willing to lend me a hand? (im in kuringgai but would definitely be willing to come to you) That would be really super helpful. And please let me know if im being stupid and its a much harder job than I'm imagining. Thanks in advance!! 

[bonno]

Hi mrman
Find link to e-manuals available for purchase on line (select the one applicable). There are various posts on this forum that should be useful on how to change timing belt. FYI I have attached a link to a post/ thread Page 4 .
https://www.emanualonline.com/Cars/Alfa-Romeo/164.htm
Link to forum post page 4.
https://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=14544.45

[mrman]

Hi mrman
Find link to e-manuals available for purchase on line (select the one applicable). There are various posts on this forum that should be useful on how to change timing belt. FYI I have attached a link to a post/ thread Page 4 .
https://www.emanualonline.com/Cars/Alfa-Romeo/164.htm
Link to forum post page 4.
https://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=14544.45

Thanks for the quick response! Much appreciated.
Just had a read through that forum thread. Seems straightforward enough. Do those manuals have any info that I cant find on here or on other forums? I dont want to waste my $30 hahaha. Of course its nice to have a manual anyway.


I've no idea what tensioner is on there now. Assuming its the original one, would it be better to switch to a mechanical one or rebuild the original one? I have read that the temperature sensitive mechanical ones can be just as bad.

Also, will i need any special tools? i remember reading about a tool to undo something to do with the power steering pump. cant quite remember. not sure if i need to add any tools to my shopping list.


so as of now im going to be ordering

new belt
waterpump
tensioner rebuild kit (maybe)
valve cover gaskets
tensioner bearing

anything else i should get?
will probably get everything from arese spares as they are very close to my work so i can pick up the parts



thanks again for helping me out. would be so lost without this forum

[V AR 164]

Hey, welcome to the forum, and good to hear of another 164 being resurrected! Honestly it's really not a difficult job to do, no special tools are required (other than a 41mm socket to rotate crank over with) and as long as you take your time and take heaps of reference pictures you will be fine.

Few tips I've learnt over the few years:
-Disconnect transmission mount on passenger side and remove mount (and top engine torque mount), then let the gearbox rest on the subframe. It will tilt the motor over slightly and give you heaps more room to work on the timing belt.
-Remove chrome intake pipes, plenum and valve covers to line up camshafts. There are notches in the cams that align to markings on the cam caps as well as the lower crank pulley has a mark showing where top dead center is. As long as these three are lined up you will have no issues with timing.
-Definitely either rebuild the hydraulic tensioner with new seals (it may not be leaking yet, but it will, trust me) or block off the oil supply to it, essentially converting it to a mechanical tensioner. I just rebuilt my motor and have blocked off the oil feed to it due to rebuild kits getting hard to find.
-Removing drivers side suspension strut is essential in gaining sufficient access.

Also replace all the other hoses while your there. Thermostat should also be replaced.

If you need any other help, just chuck us a PM and I'll be happy to help out. I'm no mechanic but I know my way around the 164 pretty good haha.

Good luck!, Andrew

[mrman]

thanks for the tips guys!

got all the important parts in yesterday but i realised I forgot to get valve cover gaskets.
however i have seen a few things saying you can reuse them (hhttps://www.alfabb.com/threads/valve-cover-gasket-replacement.193730/#:~:text=Valve%20cover%20gaskets%20can%20be,the%20cam%20seals%20either%20necessarily.)


does that sound right to you guys? im keen to get it done and i dont want to have to wait for gaskets to arrive.


thanks heaps!!

[bonno]

After all that hard work in replacing timing belt, it would be a shame to have it leak from ineffective sealing of used cam cover gaskets (compressed & hardened). PS You will also need coolant for the job.

[mrman]

After all that hard work in replacing timing belt, it would be a shame to have it leak from ineffective sealing of used cam cover gaskets (compressed & hardened). PS You will also need coolant for the job.

yeah i think what ill do is order them and just go back and do them separately when they arrive. super keen to just get it done.

thanks!

[mrman]

an update for anyone interested. i ended up finding a mechanic to do it for a pretty reasonable price so i decided to just let him go ahead with it. worth the money just for the peace of mind. thanks for the help anyway!

[bazzbazz]

Just out of curiosity, what was the reasonable price? (PM me if you prefer)