Cars that have front-wheel drive from the VAZ plant in Tolyatti have a timing belt in the gas distribution mechanism. After some mileage of the vehicle, the timing belt on the VAZ should be changed. Many owners carry out the replacement at specialized automotive centers, but some of them prefer to service the VAZ 21099 car themselves. For such drivers, it will be useful to get acquainted with how to independently change the timing belt on this car model.
About the VAZ 21099 car
The VAZ 21099 (Sputnik or Samara Forma) was the latest model of the plant of the well-known “ninth” Samara family. It was a nine that had been produced for a long time, only with a removed luggage compartment. Because of this, its length increased by 200 mm. In addition, the radiator grille, front fenders, and hood received changes. The dashboard, which drivers called “high,” received a tachometer. Before the plant began production of the tenth VAZ family, it remained the most popular domestic car for that time.
VAZ 21099
The VAZ 21099 car was equipped with an 8-valve power unit with a displacement of 1500 cm3, but some of them could have engines with a displacement of 1300 cm3. At first, the power system was with a carburetor, and later the plant switched to an injector. The timing mechanism drive for both types of engines was belt driven. The design of the 1.5-liter engine pistons was such that the possibility of the piston meeting the valves after belt damage was virtually eliminated. The use of such a drive scheme made it possible to reduce the weight of the engine.
This innovation simplified the replacement of a VAZ 21099 with an injector and a toothed belt carburetor. For correct installation of valve timing, special timing marks are provided on the rear bracket for plastic protection of the timing drive, as well as on the cylinder block in the area of the pulley on the engine crankshaft.
Timing diagram
The gas distribution mechanism is designed in such a way that the valve stem is acted upon by the camshaft cam; there are no valve drive levers in this arrangement. The thermal gap is set on a cold engine by installing adjusting washers, which are selected to the required thickness.
The design of the timing mechanism drive for cars with an injector does not differ from cars with a carburetor in the power system.
Particular attention to the condition of the timing mechanism parts should be paid to engines with a displacement of 1300 cm3. If the belt breaks in such an engine, the valves meet the pistons, which will cause an expensive overhaul of the power unit. Check the condition of the mechanism parts more often. Rotate the pulleys and inspect the condition of the belt teeth. This will avoid negative consequences during operation of the machine.
Main malfunctions of the timing belt of the VAZ 2109 engine
These include the following:
- the thermal clearance of the valves is broken;
- camshaft bearings or cams are worn;
- broken valve springs;
- valves stuck;
- the strap is stretched or weakened (slips or slips, perhaps skips if the teeth are worn);
- the camshaft timing pulley is damaged;
- oil seals (valve stems or guides) are worn out;
- carbon deposits on the valve plate.
There are several factors that are also typical for malfunctions of the crank mechanism:
- general wear and tear of the power unit elements caused by the exhaustion of the main resource determined by the manufacturer;
- the engine operating rules have been violated (this may include the use of low-grade fuel, low-quality oil, prolonged operation at high speeds).
One of the most serious problems that can happen is the so-called stuck valves. Such a breakdown leads to complete engine failure and expensive repairs. There may be two reasons.
Factors that caused the malfunction
The first is operation on low-grade fuel, as a result of which resin is deposited on the valve stems. The second factor is resonance caused by broken springs. In this case, when the piston reaches TDC, the valve does not have time to fully seat itself. This kind of problem is extremely rare, but it doesn’t hurt to know about it.
A common malfunction with a violation of the thermal clearance occurs due to wear of the bearings or camshaft cams. Also possibly the camshaft pulley. Often the cause is incorrect adjustment of the gap or incorrect selection of the washer.
In fact, it is quite difficult to correctly diagnose timing belt faults, since signs may indicate other engine components and assemblies not related to the timing belt.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=hqf2QA3WHcw
Therefore, diagnosing breakdowns of the gas distribution mechanism often involves removing the cylinder head cover for a visual inspection of the condition of the elements. A timing malfunction in any case leads to a violation of the valve timing, as a result of which unstable engine operation is observed, the inability to gain power, etc.
Signs of trouble
You can carry out diagnostics yourself if you pay attention to phenomena that clearly or indirectly indicate problems with gas distribution:
- at low and medium speeds a knock is heard in the cylinder head;
- the power of the power plant has been reduced;
- a metallic knock when starting the engine, which goes away as it warms up;
- The camshaft drive is noisy;
- there are strong pops in the exhaust system;
- exhaust gases have a blue tint;
- increased oil consumption is observed;
- engine detonation when revving up;
- the motor overheats;
- failures during engine operation.
For an accurate diagnosis, the best option would be to contact a specialized center. You should not delay with such malfunctions, as the consequences can be serious.
Replacement for VAZ 21099
This operation can be performed independently in the garage or on level ground. In addition to having new spare parts for replacement, the driver needs to prepare:
- Set of wrenches.
- Car jack.
- Reliable stand under the car body.
- Anti-recoil shoes.
- Container for drained antifreeze (if the pump is changed).
- Rags.
To quickly and efficiently carry out the planned work, you need an assistant, this is possible without technical education and plumbing skills. First of all, set the car on a level surface, tighten the handbrake and install wheel chocks. Next, open the hood, unscrew the three bolts securing the protective plastic housing of the timing drive, and remove it from the engine.
After this, the wheel bolts on the right wheel are removed, this side of the car is raised with a car jack, a stand is installed under the body, and the wheel is removed from the hub. Next, replacing the VAZ 21099 carburetor belt will be done as follows:
- Align the camshaft and crankshaft pulleys according to the marks. To do this, use a wrench to turn the crankshaft pulley clockwise. This is done by an assistant, and the driver monitors the position of the marks on the pulleys and cylinder block.
- Next, remove the generator set drive belt; just loosen the nut on the tensioning mechanism and move the generator close to the cylinder block. To remove the pulley from the crankshaft, you will again need the help of a partner. He engages the fourth gear of the gearbox, presses the brake pedal all the way, and the driver tries to unscrew the nut on the crankshaft pulley. If this does not work, you can fix the CV motionless by installing a powerful screwdriver or pry bar between the shaft teeth and the clutch mechanism housing.
- If the pump is replaced, drain the coolant into a previously prepared container.
- To remove the belt, you need to loosen its tension. To do this, loosen the nut on the roller axis and turn it. We remove the tension roller from its axis; there is a washer under it, try not to lose it. This is done when the roller needs to be replaced. If replacing the roller is not planned, then simply loosen its tension.
- Now you can remove the belt from the engine. Attention! For engines with a displacement of 1300 cm3, it is strictly forbidden to rotate the crankshaft after removing the toothed belt. After this action, the valves on this engine are damaged.
- After removing the drive, carefully clean the pulleys from foreign deposits and check for engine oil leaks. If they exist, they are eliminated immediately.
- Installation of a new product is carried out in the reverse order of removal.
- Before doing this, it is imperative to check the alignment of the installation marks on the pulleys. At the end of the work, check the timing belt tension. To do this, turn it around its axis with two fingers without much effort. If necessary, adjust the tension again using the roller. Experts recommend that before starting the power unit for the first time, make two full turns of the crankshaft while simultaneously checking that all installation marks match exactly.
Installing the water pump and tension pulley
The manufacturer recommends replacing the timing belt along with the pump and tension pulley. In addition, in case of severe wear, the camshaft gear should also be replaced.
In order to replace the pump, you need to perform the following operations.
- Drain the coolant into a container.
- Unscrew the camshaft gear, holding it from turning with a screwdriver inserted into the hole of the gear and pressed against the nut securing the rear cover.
- Remove the gear.
- Unscrew the nut and 4 bolts securing the rear cover and move it to the side.
- Remove the old pump by pulling on the toothed pulley with a screwdriver.
- Install the new part along with the gasket.
- Reassemble everything in reverse order.
- Fill with antifreeze.
The water pump does not need to be changed if it is not difficult for you to disassemble the entire structure again when the old one leaks.
Checking the belt tension
The tension roller must be changed, since there are lubricated bearings inside it. Their service life is designed in such a way that the lubricant runs out after 50,000 kilometers. Then they start to crumble.
To replace the old roller, you need to unscrew the nut and remove it from the stud. There is a washer behind the roller, don’t lose it, they rarely appear in stores. Now you can put on the new roller and screw it onto the axle.
Which brand of timing belt should I buy?
The main supplier of rubber products is the RTI plant in Balakovo. The difference between timing belts lies in the profile of the teeth. They can have a trapezoidal shape, the top of which is rounded along an involute. You can also find a drive with semicircular tooth shapes on the motor; these are mostly imported products. In addition to Balakovo products, experts recommend paying attention to ]Gates[/anchor] products. Their quality is excellent, but the cost is higher compared to domestic parts.
Imported spare parts can be used to install Contitech[/anchor] and Lemforder parts. Products from Roulunds and Bosch have proven well.
Why did you put the belt on the marks but the engine does not develop power?
Such cases are frequent; if you make a mistake by one tooth, the engine will not develop full power. For example, we have jumped a tooth ahead, the engine starts, you give the gas and it barely spins up, but as soon as you turn the distributor towards the plus side, the engine begins to develop power. But according to normal, the distributor should be in the center according to the marks on the distributor, with a slight deviation either plus or minus; this depends on the ignition setting; if the distributor has to be moved to the very edge, then this is a sign that a mistake was made when installing the timing belt.
If you made a mistake back a tooth, the engine will start very slowly, it will feel like it is biting, and detonation will also appear when you press the gas (ringing in the engine).
The question arises why this happens, you look at the marks, everything is correct, but the engine is not working correctly, the whole point is that the mark on the tin boot along which the camshaft gear is aligned can be slightly bent both down and up, this is why errors occur.
Photo. Distributor marks with a correctly installed timing belt.
The main thing is that when the belt is replaced and installed correctly, the ignition does not go astray, but this is understandable for carburetor engines with a distributor.
It’s simply impossible to determine this on the injector, since the computer itself adjusts the ignition, but if you feel that the engine is running worse or a malfunction has come on on the panel, try moving the belt to one tooth.
Frequency of replacement of mechanisms
The operating instructions for VAZ 21099 cars say that you need to change the timing belt when the car has driven 50 thousand km. If this frequency is not observed, the power unit can be seriously damaged. In addition, you should check the condition of this part approximately every 10 thousand km. This is not difficult to do, just remove the protective plastic cover and you will have access to the timing drive.
Inspect the condition of the belt, its teeth, and the presence of engine oil leaks. If even minor defects are found in the drive, the damaged part is replaced with a new product. At the same time as the inspection, the belt tension is checked and adjusted if necessary.
When replacement is required
The timing belt is responsible for the operation of the gas distribution mechanism.
Try in every possible way to avoid breaking the belt while driving, otherwise this may negatively affect the condition of the engine and the cost of its repair.
The most dangerous is the contact, the “meeting” between two main elements - the piston and the valve. In this case, the unit becomes deformed, requiring expensive restoration of the car.
There are several main criteria that indicate the need to replace the unit.
| Sign of wear | Peculiarities |
| Natural wear and tear | Each element has a certain resource, a margin of safety, above which it can “jump” only in rare exceptions. For timing belts on nines it is 50-60 thousand kilometers |
| Visual signs of wear | If you examine the condition of the strap, if there are any malfunctions, this will manifest itself in the form of defects, cracks, and peeling along the edges. All this suggests that you cannot continue to operate the car with such a strap; replacement is required. |
| Oil or coolant on the surface | Another sign that the strap is outdated and needs to be replaced. At the same time, do not forget to check for leaks in their cooling system and oil channels |
| Retighten the strap | When the service life has not yet come to an end, the strap may still become loose. To eliminate this, it is tensioned. But over time, the tension reaches its limit, the strap becomes overtightened and is no longer able to return to the desired position. For replacement and only |
| Tooth wear | If there are problems with the teeth, when moving, the belt simply begins to slip while the crankshaft rotates. Here you will have to change the gears and the belt itself |
Crack on the strap
Belt wear
It is almost impossible to break the timing belt in Samara. Most often, the teeth of the drive belt are cut off. There may be several reasons for this:
- the timing belt has expired;
- the timing drive tension is incorrectly adjusted;
- jamming of the coolant supply pump;
- engine oil getting into the working area of the drive belt.
The last circumstance is the most undesirable of the above, since the ingress of engine oil can lead to problems in the timing drive earlier than recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. The pump is replaced simultaneously with the timing belt, this will avoid unexpected engine repairs. And also correctly adjust the drive tension with the tension roller; even a novice driver can easily do this.
Installation
Now directly about how to return a new timing belt to its place. There is nothing complicated here either, but we still recommend watching visual videos and studying the instructions.
- As soon as you have examined the condition of the unit and decided to change something, proceed to assembling the mechanism.
- It is easier to do the work so that all the inscriptions are turned in your direction, that is, towards the right wing of the car.
- Replace the pulley unless it needs to be replaced.
- Next, put on the belt. Moreover, it should be put on the lower gear first, and then on the upper one. Not the other way around.
- Make sure there is no sagging.
- Place the timing belt behind the water pump and tension pulley.
- Tighten the tension roller using a special wrench.
- If you do not have such a key, use a simple key and a screwdriver.
- Be sure to adjust your new strap properly. The adjustment is carried out until the moment when you can no longer turn it at an angle of more than 90 degrees. This is the best option for tightening the strap for the VAZ 2109.
- Turn the pulley several times. This will ensure that the marks on the timing gear and flywheel are in the correct position.
- If for some reason the tags do not match, we have bad news. You will have to remove the strap again and adjust the position again.
Crack on the strap
The main difficulty in replacing a timing belt lies not in the complexity of the processes performed, but in the time that needs to be spent on repairs.
A competent approach, attentiveness and the use of a high-quality new belt will allow you to easily restore the operation of the gas distribution mechanism and save hundreds of rubles on visiting a car service center.
