I’m a firm believer that if you fix things as they come along, change your oil and filters on a set basis, and keep it greased and washed, you can run a vehicle for a very very long time. I’ve got two other vehicles that are over 300,000 miles because we take care of our stuff and don’t let them fall apart.

@Neverending DIY I got mine with 96000 miles and I'm currently at 154000

@@austinmartens7374 this one was sitting around 175/180,000 miles before we sold it. It’s got the manual transmission in it which made it a really fun and reliable car to drive. Watch out for the cam shaft and crank shaft position sensors. I had both of them go out within a couple thousand miles of each other. Threw a code and dropped the car to a crawl. It was kinda sucky. Cam shaft sensor is easy, crank shaft is stupid… it’s behind the starter with no way to get it without dropping the starter.

@Neverending DIY this is the automatic I feel it will be the transmission to go next so I just baby it

You take care of your stuff, and your stuff will take care of you! Good luck with it buddy! Feel free to holler at me if you ever have questions. I kept the repair manual in case my brother ever brings it back for maintenance. Merry Christmas!

Oof. What a challenge you’ve got. So keep one thing in mind, when cylinder 1 is at TDC the spark plug has just ignited, so both valves are closed. If you remove the valve cover, you should be able to watch the rocker movement to verify. The challenge you’re going to run into is rotating the crank shaft and the came shaft gradually together to get both of them to their TDC positions. The procedure for changing out timing belts specifically states that when you are done you are to rotate the crank two full revolutions to verify that timing is correct. If you run into ANY resistance, stop immediately as you could damage the engine. This is the resistance you’re going to run into by trying to step both shafts along. You absolutely do this by removing all the rockers, but you’ll have to have the tools to verify your valve lash/valve clearance when you reinstall. So you’re trading one challenge for another. Just remember to take your time. Sometimes the longest solution is the best one. When the job turns out successful, because you took your time and went through the motions, it will all be worth it. Good luck buddy!

@@neverendingdiy Thanks, I appreciate the advice. Yea I didnt think about setting valve lash, thinking about that makes me feel it might be easier just to pull the head instead (then I'll have a headgasket to do..) but would be a better alternative. Otherwise I had the same thought about doing a super tedious job of carefully moving the crank and cam in a way to avoid contact until i get it aligned properly😬 I could have the valve cover off like you said and see where each set of valves are at (while maybe watching each piston with the inspection camera going back and forth)😅. O man, I'm sweating already.. Like I said I'm just giving this a shot, looks like I got some serious options to weigh out.

@motov8-garage832 good luck! Patience is your best friend on a job like this

The first one was removed by loosening the alternator. The second one was a burden. If I remember properly, I believe I used an adjustable wrench in line with the tensioner to pry it in the direction needed to remove. You are correct in saying that there is no clearance to get a ratchet in there like you normally would. Get creative and perform the same task in an abnormal manner. My dad used to say, “if it’s wrong, but it works, then it’s not stupid.”

​@neverendingdiy I was just about to go ahead and unbolt the mounts to raise the engine to get to it. And after I had already found top dead center I needed to take the power steering off and the holes on the pully were not lined up so I'd have to rotate the engine with serpentine belt on to get it off. I just did what you said and got the serpentine belt off in less than a minute. Saved me a headache lol💯

@trystanfriend9732 outstanding! I’m glad it worked for you!

I bought all the parts off of RockAuto.com The part was a Gates TCK245B. It came with the tensioner and belt. Looking at my receipt it said it was on ‘Wholesaler Closeout’…. Not sure if it is still available or not. Let me know if you have any more questions!

​@@neverendingdiy How do I know which tensioner I buy is the newer updated version?

When in doubt on purchasing parts, you could always go through the disassembly process and verify dimensions of the existing parts.

​@@neverendingdiy😊❤5❤❤❤

Hahaha! Good eye! It sure is!! We have since upgraded to larger narrow wooden dowels

@@neverendingdiy 😅 I knew it!!

@lowxpectations tell me you’re a pyro without telling me you’re a pyro 🧨🤣🤣

@@neverendingdiy allegedly

Sorry you had trouble following along. If you have any questions feel free to ask