OEM 2001 Dodge Neon Timing Belt

2001 Dodge Neon Timing Belt Parts and Q&A

• Q: How to Service and Repair a Timing Belt on 2001 Dodge Neon?

  A: To do the timing belt service or repair, take off the accessory drive belts, use a hoist to raise your vehicle and then remove the right inner splash shield. Then, take out the crankshaft damper and the lower torque strut, lower the vehicle and put a jack under the engine. Cut off the upper torque strut and take out the bolt holding the engine to the right mount bracket and the power steering pump assembly. After taking off the mount and cover, turn the engine by cranking the crankshaft so the timing marks match before removing the belt. Shifting the crankshaft aligns the timing marks, during which you should loosen the timing belt tensioner bolts but do not loosen the pivot bolt. Take the belt off the sprockets separately, working so that the camshaft doesn't rotate and cause any problems with the valves. Refer to the proper service information for taking out the timing belt tensioner pulley assembly. Install the crankshaft sprocket, so that it lines up with the arrow on the oil pump and then turn the sprocket back 3 notches before TDC. Line up the camshaft by matching the mark on the sprocket to the arrow on the rear of the timing belt cover and push the crankshaft so it indicates the center mark (1/2 the distance) before TDC. Start the installation by placing the timing belt around the crankshaft moving it along the water pump and camshaft sprockets, then move the crankshaft to TDC so the belt can be tightened. To reset the hydraulic tensioner, place its body in a vise with soft jaws, softly compress the plunger until it's 1.9 mm (5/64) thick and insert an Allen wrench or pin through both ends. Lift the hydraulic tensioner out of the vise and hand-place it on the engine, but don't tighten the bolts yet. Using a special wrench, give the timing belt tensioner bolt 28 Nm (250 in. lbs.) of torque, then position the drive belt tensioner against the pulley pivot bracket and apply another 31 Nm (23 ft. lbs.) of torque to the tensioner bolts. When you pull the retaining pin on the tensioner plunger and it can be inserted and removed from the housing without extra effort, the tension is right. Take 2 turns of the crankshaft and look at the timing marks; then, install the tension pin into the housing, if it does not stay, repeat adjusting the belt tension. Put in place the timing belt front cover, engine mount bracket and engine right mount to engine mount bracket with bolt, taking away the jack from below the engine at the end. Place the upper torque strut, power steering pump assembly, lower torque strut, crankshaft damper, accessory drive belts and right inner splash shield on the car. After the vehicle is lowered, link the DRB scan tool with the data link connector in the passenger compartment near the steering wheel, turn the switch on, touch "miscellaneous," choose "re-learn cam/crank," and proceed according to the directions displayed by the DRB screen.