I have just finished changing the timing belt on my wife's 2002 Diamante and wrote up a detailed step-by-step procedure based on the factory service manual and the actual job. This procedure was refined from the one I had originally written for my 1999 Diamante timing belt replacement. Any interest in me posting that procedure?

 

I think that would be great. I'm not sure how many people would tackle that job themselves. I know I would have made an attempt if I had the procedure.

 

Here is the procedure. Keep in mind that it is very detailed and can serve as a checklist so even if you get interrupted, which is very common for the do-it-yourselfer, you can keep track of where you were when you start up again. All torque specifications come from the Mitsubishi Service Manual. Keep in mind that despite the detailed instructions, this is not a job for the beginner. You need to be experienced in mechanical work and observe all safety precautions. I cannot guarantee your success.


1. Set up sorting bins, labels and pen for tagging hoses and storing nuts and bolts.
2. Remove the negative battery cable and protect the post from the cable contacting it.
3. Remove the engine top cover and set it aside.
4. Take digital pictures all around engine. Keep camera handy for additional pictures.
5. Chock the rear wheels and put the right front side of the car on a jack stand.
6. Remove the right front tire.
7. Remove the splash shield from the right front wheelwell.
8. Place a piece of thick cardboard around the CVJ boots to protect them from tools.
9. Remove the tension from the AC/Alt drive belt by loosening the pulley nut and turning the adjusting bolt, then remove the AC/Alt drive belt.
10. Remove the AC/Alt tensioner pulley center nut and set the nut and pulley aside.
11. Remove the tension from the power steering belt by loosening the adjuster pivot bolt and adjusting nut, then turn the adjusting bolt CCW to loosen the belt (it will take many turns). Then remove the adjuster by taking out the pivot bolt and the adjusting nut. Set the adjuster aside with the pivot bolt, then put the nut and washer back on the adjuster bolt to keep it from falling backwards out through the slot. With the adjuster removed, you can then remove the power steering belt.
12. Note that during the your work you might be tempted remove the clamp that holds the AC refrigerant tubing to the fender wall, but doing so and moving the tubing will put undue stress on the connection to the evaporator at the firewall. It is best to leave the tubing in place and work around it.
13. Remove the timing belt upper cover bolts, taking care to document the size and placement of each bolt and the wiring clamps that are held by some of them. Remove the front cover. The rear one will require removing the bottom cover first.
14. With an impact wrench and a 22mm impact socket, loosen the crankshaft bolt and remove the crankshaft pulley. If the bolt doesn’t come lose, try tapping on the end of the bolt with a hammer. If that doesn’t break it free, try running the impact wrench a few seconds in tighten mode, then longer in loosen mode. Alternate these steps until the bolt comes loose.
15. Note where the crankshaft sensor wiring is routed and enters the timing belt cover, then remove the lower timing belt cover and the rear upper cover.
16. Remove the crankshaft sensor and set it up on top of the engine, out of the way. Put its two bolts and washers aside.
17. Temporarily screw into the crankshaft: the crankshaft bolt, the thick washer and two ¼” thick plastic washers from a seal driver set, or other spacers on hand, small enough to clear the roll pin. Tighten the crankshaft bolt, then bump it tighter to get it tight enough to be able to turn the crankshaft counterclockwise. If you can’t get it tight enough for counterclockwise rotation, just turn the crankshaft clockwise just under two full turns when setting it before top center (BTC).
18. Turn the crankshaft clockwise to line up the crankshaft timing mark with the fixed timing mark while at the same time lining up the two camshaft sprocket timing marks. Look carefully, straight on to eliminate parallelism, to be sure all three sprockets are lined up with their marks. It may take up to two turns of the crankshaft to get all marks to line up.
19. Carefully back the crankshaft counterclockwise until it is three teeth away from the mark. This is three teeth BTC and will put the #1 piston lower and prevent a valve from hitting it should a camshaft turn while the belt is off.
20. Plan the following timing belt work where you can do it all at one time to minimize the time the oil pan is holding up the engine.
21. Measure and record engine height relative to the body so you can set it back later.
22. Place floor jack under the oil pan with a wood block and rubber sheet to protect the surface and prevent slippage, and jack up the engine a bit to take the weight off of the motor mount.
23. Remove the two bolts from the windshield washer reservoir, lift up the reservoir and unplug the motor connector and remove the hose from the first three clips, then set the reservoir on top of the front rocker cover, leaning against the air intake duct.
24. With the reservoir out of the way, with a breaker bar remove the 17mm bolt that goes through the round part of the top engine support bracket.
25. With a breaker bar and a deep socket remove the two 17mm nuts and one 17mm bolt on top of the top engine support bracket.
26. Remove the cruise control motor mounting bolts and lift the assembly up while you take out the top part of the engine support bracket. Set the top engine support bracket aside with its bolts. If the rubber pads come off, note that the arrows face away from the engine.
27. Temporarily place the cruise control motor back in place.
28. Remove the 12mm bolt that holds the alternator wiring harness support bracket.
29. Remove the 14mm bolt in the engine support bracket that holds the rear of the alternator. Use an extra log box wrench to break the nut loose, then use a Gearwrench to remove it. Push the bolt out and set the bolt, nut and washers aside.
30. Remove the front alternator mounting bolt and set it nearby for reinsertion. Using long screwdrivers and/or long socket extensions as a pry bar, pry the between the alternator mounting tabs and the engine support bracket to move the alternator forward from the engine to disengage it from the engine support bracket. It may not move downwards due to interference with the compressor support bracket underneath, so try to move it forward only. It may take alternating pries to move each side a bit at a time. Hold the alternator with one hand as it gets set to come loose from the rear mount so it doesn’t drop. As it comes loose, set the alternator on top of the compressor in a position that will allow you access to the bolt that goes from the compressor support bracket into the front of the engine support bracket.
31. Remove the 14mm bolt that goes from the compressor support bracket into the front side of the engine support bracket, under where the alternator bolt went through. This bolt does not show up in the service manual drawings.
32. Lift the alternator back up and temporarily support it by putting the bolt back in the front alternator mount.
33. Loosen the four 14mm bolts that hold the engine support bracket to the block. If they are too tight, use a flat box wrench with a piece of pipe over the end for leverage. Be careful, these bolts screw into the block. Once loosened, the bolts will not come fully out of the bracket due to tight clearance. To remove them, first lower the engine as far as it will go to get the bottom two bolts out. You will have to maneuver the bracket around to get each bolt to where it will clear the frame. Note that the bottom front bolt is shorter than the three other bolts. Next, jack the engine up until you can get the two upper bolts out. You will have to jack it up quite a bit, and anytime you do so check around for any interference between parts of the engine and parts of the body. If you have problems getting the bolts past the power steering lower tubing, you will have to remove the bolts that hold the clamps, then remove power steering reservoir mounting nuts and bolts so you can move the reservoir to move that tube.
34. After you remove all the engine support bracket bolts, leave the engine raised and move the bracket around and rotate it as necessary to get it out through the top. It will come out in the area forward of the motor mount. If you still can’t get it out, first remove the tension on the timing belt per the following step, then remove the timing belt from under the bracket. This will give you more working room to remove the bracket. Once you have the bracket out, set it aside with its bolts, noting which goes where.
35. Lower the engine back to the original height to take any strain off the exhaust pipes.
36. Put two clothespins on the rear camshaft sprocket to keep the timing belt from slipping off it and loosen the timing belt tensioner pulley bolt to release the tension on the timing belt. Be careful, the rear camshaft sprocket will have valve spring tension on it and will spin ¼ turn counterclockwise when the timing belt is loosened or removed from it. Hold the rear camshaft sprocket in place with a breaker bar on the pulley nut and release the tension after you have removed the clothespins and taken the belt off the pulley.
37. Take the timing belt off the remaining pulleys and out from the engine.
38. From this point on you will be torquing bolts. To keep from double checking, keep a log or diagram of each bolt as you torque it, noting the setting you used, or simply circle the torque reading in these instructions to indicate it was done.
39. Remove the timing belt idler pulley and replace it with the new one. Torque the bolt to 33 ft. lbs.
40. Remove the automatic tensioner bolts and set the tensioner and its bolts aside.
41. Remove the tensioner pulley bolt and set the pulley, bolt and washer aside.
42. Clean any gunk from within and around the timing belt area.
43. Inspect the area below each camshaft. If oil is present you will have to replace the seals. Otherwise jump to the step for installing the tensioner pulley.
44. Wrap the old timing belt around the front camshaft sprocket and secure the loose ends with a Vice Grip. Run the other end of the timing belt over the rear camshaft sprocket and secure it with a Vice Grip, taking up the slack between the sprockets with the section of timing belt between them. If you have a tool to hold the sprockets in place, use that tool instead. The idea is to keep the sprockets from turning while you remove both camshaft bolts and sprockets. Remove the bolt from each sprocket, then remove the timing belt holding setup until you reinstall the sprockets.
45. Note the installed depth of the rear camshaft oil seal and remove it carefully with a screwdriver or seal remover by cutting a piece of the rubber lip to gain access to the metal lip. Be very careful to not scratch the camshaft surface. Placing masking tape on the camshaft surface may help, just remove it when you move the seal past it. Lubricate the rubber lip of the new seal and press it into place using a 1.5 inch socket as a seal driver. Set the new seal is at the same depth as the original one.
46. Use the same procedure to replace the front camshaft oil seal.
47. Reinstall the camshaft sprockets, apply the timing belt holding setup again and torque the bolts to 65 ft. lbs.
48. Inspect the water pump for leakage or pulley play. If evidence is found, replace it per the service manual procedure.
49. Install the new tensioner pulley, leaving its bolt and washer slightly loose.
50. Install the new automatic tensioner, leaving the wire in place for now. Put thread locker on the bolt threads and tighten the bolts to 17 ft. lbs.
51. Raise the engine back up again.
52. Work the engine support bracket back down in place, putting the top bolts back in as you go. Be careful to not scratch the water pump pulley.
53. Lower the engine as far as it will go and put the lower engine support bracket bolts back in place.
54. Work the engine support bracket back into place over the idler pulley. Don’t begin to screw in the engine support bracket bolts yet.
55. Raise the engine to gain clearance to move the engine support up and away from the block and to slide the top bolt out when fishing the new timing belt in place.
56. Verify that the crankshaft timing mark is still three teeth before the fixed timing mark.
57. Verify that the front camshaft sprocket timing mark is three teeth to the left of the fixed timing mark. Because of cam tension, particularly if the spark plugs are in, you may only be able to get it to stay at 1 tooth BTC. You can take this into account when installing the timing belt per the step below.
58. Install the new timing belt by carefully fishing it around the water pump pulley, up around the front cam pulley, then back down around the engine support bracket and its bolts until it is properly running up through the support bracket. Be careful to not scratch the belt. Verify that the timing belt is properly threaded through the engine support bracket and down around the water pump idler. The toothed side of the belt always goes on a sprocket. The smooth side always goes against an idler.
59. Slide the top bolt back into the engine support bracket and carefully set the bracket back into place. Finger tighten the four engine support bracket bolts to hold it in place.
60. Lower the engine back to the original height.
61. Have four clothespins handy. Set the new timing belt over the crankshaft sprocket, then pull the section that comes up from around the idler pulley to remove any slack and then fit it over the front camshaft pulley. Be sure that the timing marks on both the crankshaft and front camshaft spockets are still lined up three teeth BTC. If the front camshaft sprocket had to be set to less teeth BTC, turn it to three teeth BTC with a wrench on the end bolt, hold it there and fit the timing belt over it, then use two clothespins to hold the belt in place on the sprocket before you remove the wrench. The front camshaft sprocket may move back a few teeth, so make note of where it is.
62. Verify that the belt is properly threaded from the front camshaft sprocket down and around the water pump pulley and up to the rear sprocket. Use a pullbar and socket to turn and hold the rear camshaft sprocket to set its timing mark to the exact same setting as the front camshaft sprocket, then thread the timing belt over the sprocket taking up any slack between the sprockets. Before you let go of the pull bar, clip two clothespins on the rear camshaft sprocket to hold the timing belt in place. As you let go, the tension of the rear camshaft sprocket should pull both sprockets to where they are three teeth BTC, which should be the same as the crankshaft sprocket.
63. Thread the timing belt over the right side of the tensioner pulley.
64. Firmly press the tensioner pulley against the belt by rotating it counterclockwise. Make sure the tensioner arm is pressed against the automatic tensioner, then temporarily tighten the center bolt to hold the tensioner pulley in place. You want to make sure that the timing belt is tight enough that it will not slip over a sprocket tooth.
65. Remove the clothespins from each camshaft sprocket and turn the crankshaft clockwise three teeth so the timing mark is lined up.
66. Check all three sprockets for timing mark alignment. They need to all be exactly at the timing mark. Correct as necessary.
67. Turn the crankshaft a quarter of a turn counterclockwise, then back clockwise to verify that all three timing marks line back up. If you can’t turn it counterclockwise, rotate it two turns clockwise to line up the timing marks.
68. Loosen the tensioner pulley mounting bolt a bit until the tensioner pulley rotates freely. Set a ratchet type torque wrench on the14mm mounting bolt of the tensioner pulley. Mount the tensioner pulley tool on the tensioner pulley and use a ¼” drive 6” long extension on a small click-type torque wrench to torque it counterclockwise to 3.3 ft. lbs. (39.6 in. lbs.) while the tensioner pulley bracket is firm against the automatic tensioner protrusion. You might have to lower the engine a bit to gain clearance. Once the small torque wrench has clicked, hold its handle exactly at that point, but no further, to keep the tensioner pulley from turning and tighten the tensioner bolt to 36 ft. lbs. Remove the tools from the tensioner pulley.
69. Rotate the crankshaft two turns clockwise and let it stand for five minutes.
70. Check to see if the metal wire inserted in the auto tensioner can be moved without any resistance. If the wire can be moved without any resistance, it means that the belt is correctly tensioned, so remove the wire. Check to see that projection of the rod from the tensioner is within .150 to .196 inches. If the metal wire cannot be removed easily, then repeat the previous two steps until it can.
71. With a low-profile torque wrench and a short 14mm socket, torque the engine support bracket bolts into the block to 33 ft. lbs. in a counterclockwise pattern starting with the bolt at the top.
72. Hold the alternator with one hand while you remove the bolt that holds the front of the alternator. Set the alternator on top of the compressor in a position that will allow you access to the bolt that goes from the compressor support bracket into the front side of the engine support bracket.
73. Reinstall the bolt that goes from the compressor support bracket into the front side of the engine support bracket and torque it to 37 ft. lbs.
74. While supporting it with your hands, slide the alternator rear bracket over its rear mount. It may not go easily up from the bottom due to interference with the compressor mounting bracket below, so work straight back or down a bit from the top. If it won’t go easily over the rear mount, support the front mount with a loop of wire so you can have your hands free to apply more force and jiggling to line it up. Once the rear bracket is over the mount, slide it so the front mount lines up and insert the mounting bolt but don’t tighten it yet. Then line up the bolt holes of the rear mount and reinstall the rear alternator bracket bolt from the manifold side, torquing the nut to 33 ft lbs. Tighten the front alternator support bolt to 16 ft. lbs.
75. Reinstall the two clips that hold the power steering cooling lines to the right fender, tightening their bolts to 9 ft. lbs. Reinstall the power steering reservoir and tighten the bolts and nut to 15 ft. lbs.
76. Reinstall the 12mm alternator harness support bracket bolt and tighten to 9 ft. lbs.
77. Reinstall any other tubing clamp brackets that you may have removed. Tighen the 12mm bolts to 9ft. lbs.
78. Lift the cruise control motor out of the way and fit the upper engine support bracket onto the lower bracket bolts and down into its mount, making sure that the rubber sides are properly placed with the arrows facing away from the engine. Raise or lower the engine as needed to get the upper engine support bracket to line up with the lower engine support bracket.
79. Continue to adjust the engine height to get the hole in the engine mount to line up, then reinstall the bolt that goes through the center and torque it to 80 ft. lbs.
80. Torque the two nuts and one bolt between the upper and lower engine support brackets to 80 ft. lbs.
81. Lower and remove the jack from under the oil pan.
82. Reinstall the cruise control motor and tighten its three bolts. Verify that the little air tube hasn’t come off of the side facing the front of the car.
83. Go over all bolts and check your notes to be sure you set their torque properly.
84. Check all timing marks and belt routing to be sure they are correct.
85. Reinstall the crankshaft sensor, with the wire routed as before. Be careful to not run the wire over the windshield washer tube going to the reservoir that is still sitting on the engine. Carefully install the crankshaft sensor so the sensor blade behind the crankshaft sprocket goes through it, and then tighten the bolts to 7 ft. lbs.
86. Fit the two upper and the lower timing belt covers in place to get them to mesh. Be careful when putting the rear upper cover in place that its protruded edge doesn’t scrape against the timing belt. Check the crankshaft sensor wire comes out at the correct place. Reinstall all timing belt cover bolts, torquing the 10mm bolts to 8 ft. lbs. and the 12mm bolts to 10 ft lbs. Make sure to include any cable clamps that were held in place by the bolts.
87. Reinstall the washer reservoir, first securing the water tubing under the clips and reconnecting the motor connector, then hand tighten the two bolts.
88. Remove the crankshaft bolt and washers and reinstall the crankshaft pulley, being very careful to fully insert the roll pin in the hole so you don’t crush it. Put the bolt back in with the metal washer, making sure the washer is facing the right way. Torque it to 134 ft. lbs. To hold the pulley while torquing, wrap the old serpentine belt around the pulley and use a small Vice Grip to hold the belt around the pulley. Then press the rest of the belt together and use a Vice Grip C-Clamp to secure it to the lower control arm. Put a second Vice Grip on the loose end of the belt as a precaution. Be careful when torquing, if the pulley slips loose you can lunge forward and strike a part of the car.
89. Install a new power steering belt without the adjuster in place. Make sure the ribs are properly seated in the pulleys. It fits flush against the side of the larger section of the crankshaft pulley and is centered on the other pulleys. Remove the nut from the adjuster bolt and reinstall the adjuster, but don’t fully tighten the nut and bolt yet. The large washer goes behind the adjuster. Turn the adjusting bolt clockwise to tighten the belt to 160 pounds measured with a KrikIt Belt Tension Gauge. Then, tighten the adjuster nut to 30 ft. lbs. and the adjuster bolt to 30 ft. lbs.
90. Reinstall the AC/Alt belt tensioner with thread lock on its nut threads, but don’t tighten its nut yet. Install a new AC/Alt belt and adjust the tension to 200 pounds by turning the adjusting bolt. Then, tighten the tensioner pulley nut to 30 ft lbs.
91. Remove the cardboard protecting the CVJ boots.
92. Remove any tools you may have left under the hood or on body parts underneath.
93. Reconnect the negative battery cable.
94. Start the engine and check for proper operation and unusual noises, then turn it off.
95. Reinstall the splash shield.
96. Reinstall the right front wheel, torquing the lug nuts to 40 ft. lbs, then take the car off the jack stand and torque the wheel lug nuts to 80 ft. lbs. Remember to remove the lug nut key.
97. Using pictures, check all hoses, connectors, cable connections and routing. Carefully check all around the engine bay for any loose hoses, connectors, tools, etc.
98. Reinstall the engine top cover.
99. Check all around car for any parts that you may have left under it.
100. Remove any wheel chocks.
101. Road test the car.

 

Great job.....Very detailed.

 

Great job.....Very detailed.

 

Nice work, wish I had had this when I changed my belts and water pump.
cheers,
Kevo