03 Saturn vue, 3.0 V6. Same V6 as L series or so I have been told. Read up on changing timing belt. Have done other OHC cars before. U use special tool to lock cam sprockets together to prevent movement. The motor has 1 idler and 2 tensioners. The tensioners are on shafts with integral cam style bolts that slightly move the hub to adjust the cam timing plus/minus. I assume the cam timing adjustment is slight? Like 1 or 2 degrees? How critical is this cam timing? We are not talking about the cams being 20-30 degrees out of time. Only a very slight amount. How critical is this? I am used to a simple tensioner where u install belt and release tension and bam, ur done. Is this cam timing fine tuning common?
You might not want to mess with the timing belt replacement on this engine. This is a complicated procedure. Plus it requires this special timing belt installation tool kit. http://www.toolsource.com/timing-belt-alignment-catera-p-107750.html
Tester
U align the crank mark and make sure the am sprocket marks are aligned. So belt is on right. Now, u tweak the idler position to fine tune the timing. I get that. FINE tune. Not 2-3 belt teeth off? I want someone here to say if a few degrees off is absolutely critical to whether or not the motor runs right. I know the valves are not going to hit the pistons by being off 2 degrees.
No. You can’t be a few degrees off. The engine won’t run right and it could bend the valves. That’s the whole idea of the timing belt R&R kit. It doesn’t allow anything to move.
In the procedures for the timing belt replacement it warns that if the belt isn’t installed correctly valve damage can occur.
Tester
I’m not familiar with this car, so can’t offer advice. I know Ray has said on the show recently it can be very difficult to adjust timing belts correctly when there are two cam sprockets to deal with. This might be a time to have it done professionally.
But one thing you can do if you insist to do it yourself is paint white marks (I use that stuff to make corrections when typing) on the cam sprockets (I’m assuming you have two) and the crankshaft timing spots. You can then see what’s happening with the timing between the crankshaft and the camshafts, when the engine is running, using with a strobe light. You’d have to be able to run the engine without all the covers on, so it might not be possible with your car. But it’s a thought, eh?
Ps not the same v6 as the L, it’s a Honda V6 (same ad Accord). My father inlaw put 190k on his and traded it in still running well.
The install tool kit has a gauge that u install on top of the cam sprockets to let u adjust and check the timing. U do this with engine off, not running. U check timing, adjust idler sprocket if necessary and rotate motor and than check timing again. And repeat. U r making very slight adjustments. U are not moving cam sprockets 1 or 2 teeth here.