2.5 DI timing belt, remove crankshaft pulley?

[peteMK2C]

Hello everyone,

I have to change the timing belt again.
The last time, 8 years ago, I removed the pulley from the crankshaft. To do this, you have to loosen the 36 mm bolt (330 nm tightening torque).
Now I wanna ask if anyone in the forum has fitted the timing belt to an MK2 with a 2.5DI diesel engine without removing the pulley.
Last time I was worried about having to bend the new timing belt too much to get it round the corner of the oil pump housing.

Here are a few pictures from the last time when I did the timing belt so you can see what I mean:

DSCI2307.JPG

DSCI2308.JPG

DSCI2309.JPG

DSCI2310.JPG

Do you guys always remove the pulley when doing the timing belt
Ii's just that I don't want to damage the new timing belt right away during installation.

Thanks,
Pete

[dumper]

Long time ago but I don’t remember removing the pulley

[peteMK2C]

Thanks for replying dumper!

So you managed it to get the belt around that corner.
I'm currently trying to figure out if the housing of the oil pump had changed during that early development of the DI from 1985 to 1986
It's not so easy to find out cos when I'm doing some image search on that subject I rarely get any usable pictures.
From the picture I have seen so far, there might have been a change... some sort of flattening of the cover near the pulley which would sure make the belt change easier.

[dumper]

Due to the high torque of the bolt never try to remove them onlytime was when rebuilding the engine or oil seal it must be over 30 years since I did a mk2 but I think you just had to be careful getting it in

[Muttley]

I have done Mk2 di belts without removing pulley, there is a bit of feeding through of the belt but it does go through.

[peteMK2C]

Thanks Muttley!

I think I'll just try getting the old timimg belt out through that gap and if that is too much of a struggle I'll remove the pulley again.

Last time when I did the belt change I had removed the crankshaft Bolt and the pulley. We blocked the engine by putting in the second gear and applying the handbrake. After the change we put the bold back on with 330 nm
With the right tools it is usually no trouble removing the pulley, given that there is not much corrosion around there.

I have a hynes manual now, which I didn't had back in 2016. In the Haynes the timing belt change is described without removing the crankshaft pulley. Crankshaft pulley removal in the Hynes manual in deed comes up only when doing the front oil seal or the oil pump.
OK, the Hynes is for MK3 Diesel from 1986 onwards but the 86 engine should be very close to the 85.

[dumper]

Yes that’s how a got them off back in the day as a 1/2 drive air gun wouldn’t work unlike today’s battery guns have so much more power

[Muttley]

Quite right Dumper, my Milwaukee M18 make light work of crank bolts.