General information
Replacement of the timing belt on the Renault Megane is recommended by the manufacturer after 60 000 km of mileage.
Important! The method of replacing the timing belt is determined by the type of keyed connection at the end of the crankshaft. The connection may be with a key or without a key.
This article examines the setting of the valve timing when fitting a toothed pulley WITH A KEY.
Replacing the timing drive belt (pulleys with a key)
Preparatory work
Precautions: to replace the belt we place the vehicle on a lift. The preliminary work is the same as when fitting the belt with pulleys without a key.
Removing the arch liner: the arch liner consists of two parts. Only the front part needs to be removed. It is secured with two self-tapping screws and 5 clips.
Removing the auxiliary drive belt: with a 16 mm spanner we turn the tensioner of the auxiliary drive belt and remove the belt (see the article Replacing the auxiliary drive belt on a Renault Megane 2).
Locking the crankshaft: to unscrew the bolt, the crankshaft must be locked against turning. To do this, an assistant must engage the highest gear in the manual gearbox, press the brake pedal and apply the parking brake. If the bolt still cannot be unscrewed because of the crankshaft turning, the shaft must be locked.
Removing the pendulum suspension mount: we jack up or suspend the engine by the lifting eye. To withdraw the mount, the engine must be raised and lowered, otherwise the air conditioning pipe gets in the way.
Removing the throttle body: see the article How to remove and clean the throttle body on a Renault Megane 2.
Setting TDC and removing the belt
Removing the plugs: we prise up with a thin blade and withdraw the camshaft plugs. The plugs are covers of thin aluminium coated with rubber. In the middle of the plugs there are rubber discs.
Important! It is also possible to remove these plugs and, through the openings thus formed, prise up and withdraw the plugs with a flat-blade screwdriver. But in this case it will be necessary to select rubber plugs of the corresponding diameter and close these openings.
Setting TDC: in order not to disturb the valve timing, before removing the F4R timing belt it is necessary to set the crankshaft and the camshafts to the TDC position (top dead centre of the compression stroke of cylinder 1).
To turn the crankshaft we refit the bolt securing the auxiliary drive pulley, having placed a spacer (a bush or a set of washers) between the bolt and the end face. The crankshaft can also be turned by rotating the right front wheel fitted in place clockwise with the highest gear engaged in the manual gearbox. In order to make turning the shaft easier we unscrew the spark plugs.
If the tool is not available: it can be made from a metal plate 5 mm thick according to the drawing.
We unscrew the plug from the opening in the cylinder block. It is located to the right of the oil dipstick.
If the tool is not available: a bolt or a rod of 8 mm diameter and at least 70 mm long can be used.
Fit the crankshaft toothed pulley with an integrated key.
Tighten the guide roller securing bolts to the recommended torque.
Tensioning the belt
Important! Do not rotate the tensioner roller anticlockwise.
Tightening torque: tighten the axle securing nut of the tensioner roller to a torque of 7 N·m.
Fitting the camshaft gears (if removed)
If the camshaft gears were removed (for example, when repairing the cylinder head):
- Tighten the bolt and the shouldered nut (1).
- Screw in the gear nuts until they contact the toothed pulleys of the camshafts.
- Tighten the gear securing nuts (2) to a torque of 80 N·m.
- Tighten the old camshaft pulley securing nuts to a torque of 30 N·m.
Remove the camshaft locking tool Mot.1496 and the toothed pulley locking tool Mot.1509. Turn the crankshaft two revolutions clockwise, viewed from the drive side.
Checking the belt tension
Check: before completing the second revolution (that is, half a tooth short of the marks applied previously), fit the TDC retainer Mot.1054 between the balancing opening and the crankshaft locking opening.
Fix the timing drive in the valve timing setting position. Make sure the tensioner roller marks are aligned. Otherwise repeat the belt tension adjustment.
Repeated tension adjustment (if necessary)
- Fit the Mot.1496 tool for locking the camshafts.
- Fit the Mot.1509 tool for locking the toothed pulleys.
- Tighten the bolt and the shouldered nut (1).
- Screw in the gear nuts until they contact the toothed pulleys.
- Tighten the gear nuts (2) to a torque of 80 N·m.
- Unscrew the old toothed pulley securing nuts.
- Remove the Mot.1509 tool.
- Align the marks (2) and (3) on the tensioner roller, having loosened the axle securing nut by not more than one revolution, holding the roller with a 6 mm hexagon key.
- Tighten finally the tensioner roller securing nut.
- Fit the Mot.1509 tool.
- Tighten the bolt and the shouldered nut (1).
- Screw in the gear nuts until they contact.
- Tighten the gear nuts (2) to a torque of 80 N·m.
- Remove the old toothed pulley securing nuts.
- Fit the new nuts onto the camshaft pulleys.
- Tighten the toothed pulley securing nuts to the required torque.
- Remove the Mot.1496 tool.
- Tighten further the toothed pulley securing nuts by the required angle.
- Remove the TDC retainer Mot.1054 and the Mot.1509 tool.
- Turn the crankshaft two revolutions clockwise.
Checking the valve timing setting
Make sure that the marks applied previously on the camshaft toothed pulleys are aligned.
Important! If the tool cannot be fitted, it is necessary to set the valve timing again and adjust the tension of the timing drive belt.
Tip: the article seems difficult to take in, but if you read it several times and do everything in sequence, there is nothing complicated.