Buying a car is a big budget for the majority of us, nevertheless, to this one you will have to add the maintenance of your motor vehicle, and for some maintenance acts the bill can be quite high. It is therefore logical to ask yourself when is the best time to carry out these repairs and not do them “for nothing”. In this article we are going to describe to you when to replace the timing belt on your Ford Explorer? For that, to begin with, we are going to discover why it is essential to do this act of maintenance, then, when to do the timing belt of your Ford Explorer , then, we are going to fairly quickly explain to you how this replace is done, and, at last, how much it costs to do the timing belt of a Ford Explorer.
Why do we need to replace the timing belt of an Ford Explorer?
As we explained to you in introduction, changing a timing belt on a Ford Explorer represents an important budget, so we understand that you are reluctant to do it and to allow you to understand the benefit of this repair, so we will fairly quickly describe why it is so important to do it on time.
Your Ford Explorer’s timing belt action
The timing of a Ford Explorer has an essential role in the smooth running of your engine. Obviously, it will have the mission to synchronize the valves and pistons, and to make the link between the camshaft, the water pump, the crankshaft and the injection pump . It will allow the engine unit to work effectively, and avoid any risk of engine breakage. The shorter the distance your vehicle travels, the more your belt will be solicited when starting the engine unit.
What are the risks if the timing belt is not changed on time?
The issue with the timing of a Ford Explorer is that it is internal to the engine unit. And so, in contrast to an accessory belt, it is difficult to visually verify its state. So you might think that this belt is just an insignificant part, but the risks you take if you don’t replace it in time are substantial. If the timing of your Ford Explorer breaks, you will definitely have to replace the engine of this one. Obviously, the pistons will hit the valves and destroy them, and the camshaft will as well break. The faster the engine is running at the moment of the breakage, the more severe the consequences are. It is therefore fundamental to make your timing belt on time .
When to do the timing belt of its Ford Explorer?
We will now answer the question that you all have to ask yourselves, when to make the timing belt of a Ford Explorer? It is required to know that each engine unit is different and as we explained above, we must not miss on the replacement of this part. The more we advance in time the more the manufacturers improve the timing belt and normally the more recent your Ford Explorer will be the less you will have to worry about your belt. However, look at your Ford Explorer’s service book to get the exact life and maximum mileage you can achieve before you do the timing . On average, timing belts have a life of 5 to 10 years and a maximum mileage between 80, 000 and 200, 000km .
How to replace the timing belt of an Ford Explorer?
As the timing belt of a Ford Explorer represents a high budget, one can rationally wonder if it is not possible to replace it on your own. Regrettably it is very tricky to access and just the most knowledgeable amateur mechanics and the most equipped with tools will be able to reflect on this procedure, we will however fairly quickly explain the different steps to be carried out to replace this timing belt:
- Place the Ford Explorer on stands, and depending on your engine unit you might have to remove a wheel. Take out the timing gearboxes
- To do this, you must buy the timing kit so that all the engine unit components remain in the right position, in any other case your engine unit will break. Take out the other components that bother you (damper pulley for example).
- Take out the old distribution after loosening the tension rollers. Before positioning the new one, you must take out all the tensioning rollers and the water pump.
- Place the new water pump.
- Install the new tension rollers, pay attention to the location of each one.
- Install the new distribution of your Ford Explorer by respecting the markers.
- Tension the belt according to the manufacturer’s info.
- Put the rest of it back together.
- Verify that the engine unit is running effectively.
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Replacing the timing belt how much does it cost?
And finally, we’ll try to give you an idea of the price if you want to replace the timing belt of your Ford Explorer . Be aware that if you do it at the garage area of the brand or at a motor vehicle center like Feu Vert the price can vary a lot, but generally we estimate that the price of the distribution varies between 400 and 900 euros , depending on the place where you do it and your engine unit. Please be aware that the kits include the belt, idlers and water pump.
If you have any further questions about the Ford Explorer, do not hesitate to consult our Ford Explorer category.
