How to align the timing belt of BYD F3?
4 Answers
To align the timing belt of BYD F3, follow these steps: 1. Align the camshaft timing mark with the mark on the timing belt cover; 2. Align the crankshaft sprocket timing mark with the mark on the oil pump housing. More details about the timing belt are as follows: 1. The internal components of the engine timing belt consist of 6 parts, namely the timing belt, timing belt tensioner, guide wheel, intake camshaft pulley, exhaust camshaft pulley, and crankshaft pulley; 2. Timing belt transmission produces less noise than chain transmission engines, operates more smoothly, and the maintenance cost of timing belts is much lower than that of chain transmission engines.
Last time I worked on the timing belt of my F3 by myself, and this job requires extra caution. First, rotate the crankshaft to the top dead center position of the first cylinder, aligning the mark on the crankshaft pulley. There are also small dots on the camshaft gears—align both dots to point directly upward. While aligning, prevent the camshaft from rotating on its own by gently holding it in place. After loosening the tensioner, align everything properly before gradually tightening it. Using a specialized tool to lock the tensioner bolt is the most reliable method. Once installed, manually turn the engine two full rotations to check if the marks still align correctly—even the slightest misalignment can cause valve interference. Honestly, beginners shouldn’t attempt this casually; it’s safer to spend some money and let a repair shop handle it. Damaging the engine isn’t worth the risk.
Aligning the timing belt seems simple but actually requires careful attention, mainly involving three steps: First, rotate the crankshaft to the correct position and align it with the small round hole mark on the oil pan; then position the double-dot mark on the camshaft gear horizontally upward; finally, loosen the tensioner pulley screw to allow the belt to self-tension. The key is to ensure all three marks perfectly align when rotating the engine back. However, many new cars now use chains instead, as belt maintenance is indeed more troublesome, and there may be minor structural differences in the F3 engine across different model years.
I specialize in engine repair. For the BYD 477F engine, the timing alignment has specific specifications: the crankshaft keyway must be vertically upward, and the crankshaft locating pin should align with the oil pan notch. The camshaft's double grooves must be parallel to the cylinder head's upper plane, and the camshaft position should be secured using the special tool G-005. The tensioner pointer must fall into the adjustment window, and a torque of 38N·m should be applied for tightening. Before operation, the spark plugs must be removed to reduce resistance. After tightening, manually rotate the crankshaft 720 degrees to recheck the mark positions. This process requires a tolerance within ±2°, and a timing light can be used to precisely verify the ignition angle.
