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2000 3.2L V6 Rodeo Timing Belt Change - Engine Running Rough

7K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  FL 3.2L 
#1 ·
Help! I have just changed my 2000 3.2L Rodeo's timing belt and the engine is running a little rough and noisy on acceleration.

I followed the instructions from my Haynes manual and checked the procedure against postings from this site. I thought all was well but when I accelerate there is "noise" from the air intake that has developed since the belt change. It sounds as if there is an air leak in the intake system but I have checked this and there is definitely no air leak.

The only thing that did not line up when I removed the original belt was the notch on the crank pulley with the mark on the oil pump (at 3:00 o'clock). The dotted line on the belt did line up with 9 o'clock on the crank pulley and the 2 solid lines on the belt did line up with the raised marks on the valve covers.

I made a reference mark with a permanent marker on the crank pulley and the engine to ensure it was in the same place when I put on the new belt.

All seemed to go well but I did have to rock the crank back and forth to get the teeth in the new belt to seat in the correct position while still maintaining the position of the crank (which I checked against the reference marks I made with the permanent marker).

All seemed to be correct and I put everything back together. Now the engine makes a guttural growl on acceleration which was not there before and seems to be a little under powered.

QUESTIONS: Could I have placed the new belt one notch off on the crank? If so would the engine run with the results I have described? Would the engine run AT ALL if I did put the new belt on one notch wrong on the crank?

BTW, the belt I replaced was the original Isuzu belt - The replacement was an OEM belt purchased from my local Isuzu dealer.

Please help!!!

Any advice or insight would be appreciated.
Thanks.....

2000 Isuzu Rodeo LS, 3.2L V6, 4WD, 103 000 Mi
 
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#2 ·
My 1997 ran fine for 80K nearly 2 teeth off on the crank after a shop did it. It didn't seem to notice the difference like my 4 cyl VW would. I'll bet it is a leak somewhere.
 
#3 ·
I think you need to make sure all the marks line up. The haynes manual isnt good at the whole procedure. Im too lazy right now, and im at work. So im just going to copy and paste.

Dae said:
Here is some great info on changing the timing belt with videos! Make sure you watch them, it helped me greatly at 2:00am.

http://forum.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic.php?t=16972

This post im about to quote from JLEMOND is all I needed to set my 3.2L timing correct. Its way more detailed than my GAYnes manual. Just use haynes for the torque specs.

JLEMOND said:
OK STEVE LETS DO IT THIS WAY , FORGET THE MANUAL , YOU CAN USE IT WIPE YOUR HANDS WITH WHEN YOU GET THRU, TURN THE CRANKSHAFT SO THAT THE KEYWAY IN THE CRANKSHAFT IS SET AT 3.0CLOCK THERE IS A LINE ON THE OIL PUMP TO LINE THIS ONE UP WITH, THIS ONE IS EASY THE SLASH MARK ON THE EDGE OF THE LOWER TIMING PULLEY GOES OVER TO THE 9.0 CLOCK POSITION, NOW ROTATE THE CAM PULLEY ON THE RT BANK CLOCKWISE AND IT WIL GO THUMP THUMP MAYBE 5-7 TURNS BEFORE IT WILL LINE UP , DEPENSD ON WHER IT IS NOW , LINE UP THE TIMING MARK ON THE PULLEY WITH THE MARK ON THE VLV CVR IT WILL BE RIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO SEALS IN FRT ALLSO THE KEY WAY IN THE CAM GEAR CAN BE USED AND IT SHOULD LINE UP WITH THE MARK ON THE PULLEY,, NOW ON THE LFT BANKTAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE TIMING MARK ON THE VLV CVR SAME SPOT AS ON THE RT BANK, LOOK TO THE LEFT OF THIS MARK FOR A MARK ON THE CYL HEAD ITSELF NOW ROTATE THE CAM GEAR AROUND WHAT EVER NO OF TURNS IT TAKES TO GET THE MARK TO LINE UP, WITH THE MARK ON THE GEAR AND THE CYL HEAD OK ,, NOW ROTATE THE SAME GEAR CLOCKWISE UNTILL THE CAM GEAR MARK LINES UP WITH THE MARK ON THE VLV CVR , THE REASON YOU HAVE TO TURN THES THINGS SO MANY TIMES , IS THE CRANK SHAFT OBVISOULY HAS TO TURN TWICE FOR EVERY CAM SHAFT TURN CORRECT WELL ON THESE ENGS THE RATIO FOR THE CAM TO CRANK IS NOT 2.1 IT IS 1.57 TO ONE , HOW CAN THAT BE , THE RATIO IS PICKED BACK UP INSIDE THE HEAD WITH THE CAM GEARS INSIDE THE HEAD TO BRING IT BACK TO THE 2.1 CAM TO CRANK ,, THIS WAS DONE TO LOWER THE CYL HEAD HEIGHT , SOMETIME TAKE A LOOK AT THE OVERALL HEIGHT OF THIS ENG COMPARED TO THE OLD ER 3.2 SOHC OR THE DOHC ENG THIS ENG IS ALLMOST 3INCHES SHORTER IN HEIGHT , THERE ARE NO ROCKER ARMS NOLIFTERS NO ROCKER SHAFTS , THE CAMS RUN RIGHT ON TOP OF THE VLV STEM THRU A BUCKET TYP SDJUSTER THAT SITS ON TOP OF THE CAMSHAFT, NO A NEW DESIGN BY ANY MEANS BEEN AROUND FOR EVER BUT NOT IN THIS TYPE OF AN ENG ,,, ANYWAY NOW PUT THE BELT BACKON AND RELEAS THE TENSIONER AND YOU SHOULD BE IN GOOD SHAPE , BY THE WAY THESE ENGS WILL RUN ON 3 CYL ON ONE BANK RELATIVELY SMOOTH. JERRY
Hope that helps.
Watch the vids, and youll know what JLEMOND is talking about. Make sure you set your timing the same way.
 
#6 ·
Dae,

Thank you for the info. It was a great help! Even though I lined everything up when I took off the old belt, I must have moved one of the pulleys slightly - I would guess the crank as it is the most difficult to see the alignment notches.

I redid the job and this go around timed the engine per the instructions. What do you know, the engine is now running great.

The one thing that was helpful was to use a small digital camera to take a picture of the timing marks from the same horizontal plane. This way I was sure that the marks lined up correctly.
 
#8 ·
Glad you got it up and running normally. I had hell my first time cause the RH cam wasnt set properly. I watched the videos, and did the adjustment in my record 2 hours right before work. I still had time to eat breakfast :D
 
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