MG6 1.8 block in 1.8 FL1 - 1.8 Freelander new Timing Belt slightly runs over edge

Hi all,

My new timing belt is running about 1mm over the outside edge of the camshaft gears.

New belt and new engine block from an MG6 1.8, mated to a Freelander cylinder head (distributor type). It’s not a turbo version.

The timing belt tensioner is the auto tensioner as it should be but is from an Mg6 as opposed to an FL1 - apparently the tensioners are identical. Also, the 2 cam gear bolts are originals. If I renew the bolts and fit an FL1 tensioner - likely to make a difference? The water pump is also from the MG6 and was already on the block when supplied. The crank pulley bolt is from the FL1 as well as the crank pulley sprocket gear.

Is this normal ?

Here’s a short video I shot to illustrate the issue. All opinions welcome.

The belt position is controlled by the crank pulley. Replacing bolts, tensioner or water pump will have no effect on the position the belt runs. So if the crank and cam pulleys aren't in perfect alignment, they won't track correctly.
How much gap is there in the crank belt guide, as it could be designed for a wider belt.

Nodge68 said:

The belt position is controlled by the crank pulley. Replacing bolts, tensioner or water pump will have no effect on the position the belt runs. So if the crank and cam pulleys aren't in perfect alignment, they won't track correctly.
How much gap is there in the crank belt guide, as it could be designed for a wider belt.

Click to expand...

I’ll have to check that out and see the gap. The MG6 and FL1 crank pulleys are the same. I just checked specs online now and note that a timing belt for the MG6 is 26mm wide and has 145 teeth, mirroring the FL1 timing belt which is also 26mm wide with 145 teeth.

Are you sure the early FL1 belt is a 26mm belt? I'm going on memory, but I've a vague recollection that the distributor models used a 25mm belt. Although that in itself won't solve the tracking issue, it's likely that a pulley designed for a 25mm belt will be narrower than one designed for a 26mm belt, which could result in the overhang you are seeing.
Alternatively if there's plenty of unused pulley behind the belt, you could have some shims made up to move the pulleys out a bit, but this isn't ideal.

Edit.
Looking at the video again, I'm wondering if the crankshaft from the MG6 has a slightly longer nose, which would need to be replicated at the cam pulleys too, so a spacer will fix that, or maybe the MG6 pulleys have a slightly deeper mounting flange on the back?

Just an update to this as well. I changed the crank pulley aka the guide, from the MG6 one to a 1.8 Freelander original and put a brand new timing belt on, it still runs off the edge but much less than previous. I could probably say that it runs flush with the edge but a very tiny amount over, nothing to cause me concern. The only other component I could change is the water pump as it’s an MG6 one as opposed to a Freelander one but I left that as it is and will monitor it and see how it goes.