Replacing Your Dodge Stratus Timing Belt

A damaged or broken timing belt can be the end of your vehicle’s life unless you get it repaired, which can cost $750 or more. A broken belt can also cause extensive damage to your vehicle, including broken or bent valves and pistons. The extra damage can add even more to your repair costs. In order to replace your timing belt, you need a number of items, including a socket set, a torque wrench, combination wrenches, flat and Philips screwdrivers, a jack and jack stand, a drain pan, antifreeze, a harmonic balancer puller, a three-jaw gear puller, a new timing belt, a timing light, and a timer belt cover gasket.

Directions

1

Prepare Your Car to Remove the Old Belt

Disconnect your car’s negative battery cable. Next, remove your distributor cap.

2

Rotate and Align the Timing Mark on the Crankshaft Pulley

Use a wrench on the crankshaft bolt to rotate the engine, so the timing mark on the crankshaft pulley is aligned with the zero mark on the timing scale.

3

Align the Distributor Rotor Correctly With the Distributor Housing

Make sure that the distributor rotor is aligned with the index mark on the distributor housing. If it is not properly aligned, rotate the engine one more full turn. It should be in position to fire the number one cylinder.

4

Remove Drive Belts that Interfere With Removal of the Timing Belt Cover

Remove any drive belts or other components that get in the way of the removal of the timing belt cover. These components are generally different depending on the model year. Your vehicle’s service manual will tell you which parts need to be removed, or you can simply remove the components that are in your way.

5

Remove Your Timing Belt Cover

Remove the bolts and screws holding the timing belt cover in place. Lift the cover from the engine and make sure that the camshaft and crankshaft markings are aligned. The engine cover may come in two pieces depending on your vehicle’s model year.

6

Check for Leaks

Check for any signs of a fluid or oil leak around the timing belt before you begin removing it. Any leaks must be repaired before installing the new belt.

7

Prepare the Timing Belt Tensioner for Removal

Loosen the bolts holding the timing belt tensioner in place. Do not remove the bolts completely. Gently pry the tensioner away from the belt. Re-tighten the bolts enough to hold the loosened tensioner in place. Check the tensioner for any visual damage. Next, turn the tensioner pulley and listen for anything out of the ordinary. If you hear a humming or rattling noise when the tensioner pulley is turned, replace it before installing your new belt.

8

Remove the Timing Belt

Slide the belt from the sprockets. Gently pry the belt from the pulley grooves with a screwdriver if the belt has become stuck in the grooves.

9

Check for Damaged Components before Installing the New Belt

Check the camshaft and crankshaft sprockets. If they are damaged or worn out in any way, replace them.

10

Put the New Timing Belt in Place

Gently slide the new timing belt into position over the sprockets, but do not force it into place. Make sure that the belt tensioner is released completely if you have difficulty sliding the belt into place.

11

Adjust the Timing Belt Tensioner and Timing Belt

Loosen the bolts holding the timing belt tensioner in place until it comes in contact with the belt. Adjust the belt until it reaches the proper tension, then make sure that the sprockets are still aligned correctly. Using the wrench on the camshaft pulley, turn the engine over a minimum of two turns until it returns to the zero mark. This should cause the new belt to become positioned correctly on the sprockets.

12

Check Alignment of Timing Marks and Reconnect the Necessary Components

Make sure that all the timing marks are still aligned correctly. Replace the timing belt cover and replace the bolts that hold the cover in place. Next, replace any belts and other components that you had to remove to gain access to the timing belt cover. Reconnect your vehicle’s battery cable, and test your vehicle to make sure that it is running properly.

A broken or damaged timing belt can cause a great deal of damage to your vehicle, causing it to malfunction or not run completely. Taking your vehicle in to be repaired can cost $750 or more, so learning to repair your vehicle’s timing belt is a wise investment. The time and effort required to complete this job is worth the money you will save in the end. By following these relatively simple instructions, you should have very little difficulty repairing the Dodge Stratus timing belt.