How to Change the Timing Belt on a 1984 Hyundai Excel

The manufacturer has suggested changing the timing belt on the 1984 through 1994 1.5 Hyundai Excel at 60,000-mile intervals. This decision was arrived at after studying the service history of belt failure on this engine. The 1.5 engine has been identified as an interference engine in which a failure in the timing belt would cause major internal engine damage due to the pistons hitting the valves. When doing this procedure, do not turn the crankshaft with the belt removed, as damage could occur.

Tools Used: ¼-inch drive sockets, ¼-inch drive extension, ¼-inch drive ratchet, Screwdriver, Metric wrenches

Change Timing Belt

Remove the accessory belts and the air-conditioning tensioner pulley and bracket. Remove the engine fan, spacer and water-pump pulley. Remove the crankshaft pulley bolts and the crank pulley. Remove the timing belt covers.

Turn the crankshaft clockwise until the dot on the crankshaft sprocket is aligned with the corresponding mark on the block at the 1 o'clock position. This will indicate that the Number 1 piston is at top dead center. Check the camshaft sprocket to be sure the round dot on the cam sprocket is aligned with the arrow on the cylinder head. If it is not, the engine needs to be rotated one more time for the marks to align.

Loosen the bolts on the timing belt tensioner, push it away from the belt and loosely tighten the bolts. Take off the timing belt. Ensure that all timing marks are aligned and proceed to install the new timing belt, starting at the right side, away from the tensioner.

Install the belt counterclockwise from the crank sprocket to the cam down through the tensioner. Loosen the bolts in the tensioner and allow it to put tension on the timing belt. First tighten the adjuster bolt on the tensioner, which is inside, near the belt. Torque the bolt to 20 foot-pounds of torque. Torque the pivot bolt on the tensioner to 20 foot-pounds of torque.

Turn the engine clockwise two turns and again check the timing marks. If they are lined up, install the components in the reverse order of removal and torque the crankshaft pulley bolts to 11 foot-pounds of torque.