Mazdaspeed 3 - VVT & Timing Chain Replacement 

Thanks man! Happy to hear it went smoothly for ya

Alex Lechner Thanks! I'm glad we could be of help☺

I know this is 6 years late but where did you find the manual? I need to replace timing and would like to have this reference when I do need to.

Thanks a lot brother! That means a lot to us!

Thanks a lot :)

That's great to hear!

Thanks bro.....i just couldnt stand watching this whole video

how’d it go ?

Thanks! We're glad you find it useful :) Let us know if you have any questions when you start

Working with what we have ;)

I know man it's insane, and it drives so much smoother.

How did you get on with this job mate?Any issues?

Interested in how it went

Thanks! That should be awesome:)

Alexis Thanks eh!

Glad to help out;)

Yeah man 600 bucks sounds like a good deal! It's really a lot of work

🤣🤣🤣 was just thinking the same thing. Although mine just needs vvt replaced. Timing chain and the lot was replaced already

@@brandonvandiemen144 What codes or symptoms did you experience that drew you to the conclusion that just your vvt needed replacing?

Hahaha crappy madaz engine

@@hreimer13 It typically throws a P0012

Beautiful

shane walsh Right on! Labor cost is always going to be a big factor :)

Wannabe Tuners. Plus another 1000 for decarbonnig because of Engine missfire codes 302.303.But I still luv the car it really is quick and very stable Great channel guys

shane walsh Thanks man! These engines are dirty in so many ways lol

Fuel pump to put the timing tool in, and no need to remove the intake

You're welcome! Glad you found it useful:) The reason for removing the cam locking plate and crankshaft TDC pin before tightening the crank bolt an additional 90 degrees, is to prevent cracking the camshafts, damaging the block, and damaging the special tools. When the crank bolt is initially tightened to 75-80 ft lbs of torque, we found that it is tight enough to promote enough friction to ensure that the cams will also rotate if the crank rotates when the crank bolt is tightened an additional 90 degrees which keeps the engine in time. To prevent shearing the small bolt that fits through the crank pulley hole into the timing cover, we removed it and used a suitable crank pulley counter hold for the additional 90 degrees. This also minimizes the amount of crankshaft rotation. The power of friction!

Wannabe Tuners ah got ya, litteraly just fired the car up and it runs perfect. If ya hit any issues with a Chrysler product let me know haha.

Will do brother! Thanks

@@WannabeTuners Hi, I am really new to all of this, but I am about to remove the timing chain to replace the head gasket, how can you damage the block if you leave the cam locking plate? What could be the worst case scenario? Thank you so much for your videos!

Sorry to hear man. Before starting any disassembly, the engine should be set to TDC first. Then when loosening the crankshaft bolt u want to use some sort of counter hold against the pulley, and have all timing tools removed to prevent damaging anything. Thanks :)

The engine uses friction washers only to keep the camshafts and crankshaft timed together. They need to be in the correct positions prior to tightening them down

Just out of the Toronto area!

Tbh I don't think the chain stretches. It's just the worn out VVT causing excessive slack. And yeah! Why do the job twice right!

Omg weirdos on these busses lol. I checked and rechecked timing was tits everytime tensionwas good and i get everything back on with coulple pulleys andbolts left over. I start it and immediately hear either chain slapping valve cover or the vvt sprocket was getting actuated by some rtv that i got all over instslling cover. Chain tension seems really tight so no way that it was slapping any cover. I am going to take hpfp off again to install trusty cam locker. Tool and set timing again. Will update with results.

@@evergreenpnw2532update?

Happy to help;)

I'm not sure. It's a similar design to the Ford ecoboost engines and I am pretty sure Ford owned a large part of Mazda at the time.

lol_ speed3 Yeah, bull Sh...with friction washers. My car is Ford Focus SE 2.0L 2010 the same! Friction washer costs $18 each.

sorry i did see the cams plate and the sst which holds the crankshaft counterweight

There are three on the crank and one for each cam sprocket

Thank you :)

The harder option would be to remove the camshafts which ensure all valves are closed as you rotate the crankshaft to TDC. Then you can re-install the cams into the correct position. The other easier option is to try and rotate the crankshaft so that the all the pistons are roughly halfway down the cylinders, adjust the cams into position, then adjust the crank. That's why it's a good idea to set the engine at TDC prior to taking the timing components apart, because otherwise the cams and crank can be totally out of sink causing potential piston to valve contact when rotating the crankshaft to the TDC position.

@@WannabeTuners than you so much guys I did the second option and it worked! So thank you so much for your videos and all the help and information !

@@mikeup91 Your very welcome! Glad it worked out :)

Hey thanks man! We primed the fuel system by turning the key to the on position a few times, although it may stutter at start up because there is still air on the high pressure side of the fuel system. This is normal. The orientation of the VVT does not matter. I too have read up on this, and it seems that the only reason it is recommended to have the orientation the same is when you are only changing the VVT out, and not loosening the exhaust cam. Many have not installed it in the same orientation and are problem free! Either way, we made a mark on the old VVT, and transferred it over to the new one just in case.

Hi WT, Oh, cool, I'll prime it a few times before cranking the engine. I discovered another procedure from the Mazda Forum (www.mazdaspeedforums.org/forum/f33/how-vvt-140986/) and noticed that they too installed the VVT actuator in the same position as you did which leads me to believe it's probably ok, but as you mention it does not matter. I wondered if the holes (4) in the actuator aligned with those on the end of the camshaft facing out radially (not the ones pointing out horizontally), but they don't appear to be based on how the original VVT was installed from the factory. Another question though as I am at the point to run the crankshaft bolt the additional 90° after having torqued it to 75 ft-lbf. I'd say I've gotten it to ~45° judging where it is now, but it's getting to the point where it is getting harder to turn the breaker bar and mind you that I am using my leg against the bar sitting on the ground. I was thinking of using a sledge and hit the breaker bar just right to mimic an impact gun or drill method. Would you mind giving some tips in how you got yours to turn to the 90° point? One other comment or suggestion: I was able to take the fuel pump off without disconnecting it from the housing which covers the outer lobe of the intake camshaft. This way you don't need to bother with the spring which I believe goes to the piston where the lobe contacts and only have to replace L3K9-10-193 and not the o-ring (unless it leaked at this juncture and was needed to be replaced also). Thanks! Jeff

Hey sorry for the late response, hopefully it all went well:) For the 90 degree's, I just used my body weight with a breaker bar and turned it in small increments. Not all at once. This is definitely the hardest part of the job because a lot of force is required to turn it the additional 90 degree's. For the fuel pump removal, that sounds like a good idea, that way you're not fighting the spring on the fuel pump piston.

Hi, No worries, eventually I figured I needed to change two things in getting the extra 45°. First, I realized that the pulley rotated slightly based on how the pulley holder was positioned. Rotated it 180° where it appeared to be having a better grip resting towards the front of the chassis rather than the rear. Secondly, the breaker bar didn't quite provide the leverage needed since it wasn't a long one. I ended up cranking my torque wrench all the way up which then provided the leverage needed since it was much longer than the BB. Again, used my legs seated on the ground and stepped down on the torque wrench and got there incrementally. So, the car started upon cranking it once! Kinda sputtered for a little bit as you mentioned, but no more rattling noise or ticking heard. The scanner codes P0011 and P0016 were still there after I took it for a test drive and since they were permanent I wasn't able to clear them. Scanner guide explanation is that only the car can erase them which happened sometime the next day. One rookie mistake was not to replace the clamp on a coolant hose that runs on the bottom of the fuel pump. Needless to say, coolant started leaking after the engine got up to temperature, but after replacing the clamp, problem was fixed. Honestly speaking, I don't think I would have been able to do this job without your help. I am glad I found your video which assisted me quite a bit to get the car fixed. The timing chain wasn't stretched that much, but the VVT actuator definitely needed to be replaced since the round part popped out and is now somewhere in the oil pan. Aside from being short a few tools and getting parts at a decent price (online at Cox Mazda located in Bradenton, FL) this job was well worth the effort in getting it done by myself instead of spending $$ at the dealer. I think now I'll have a few rum and Cokes to celebrate:) I hope I can call upon you guys in the future with any future mechanical jobs on my Mazda. Thanks again! JN

Hahaha thanks man, I'm happy it all worked out for you:D

Thanks man! As long as there isn't actual debris on the friction washer surface, you should be ok. Spraying some brake/parts cleaner on them and allowing it to evaporate won't cause any harm in my opinion, but I do think it's better to just leave them dry, and avoid touching the surface with your fingers

Thanks man! Who knows what the future holds. I plan on keeping this car for a long time. They're so fun:)

Janet Bostock If u have any questions let us know:)

No worries! Since nothing is keyed, the positions of the sprockets can vary ever so slightly. By pulling the tensioner pin and then rotating the chain assembly several revolutions prior to tightening the cam sprockets down, the idea is that it allows the positions of the sprockets to 'settle' into a position where slack in the chain is as even as possible between all sprockets throughout the full rotation of the chain.

@@WannabeTuners got it. Thanks for the clarification. I'm dealing with poo12 because I believe the vvt sprocket I replaced needed to be positioned before tighten. I went with my friends opinion and now have that code. After watching your video I am now convinced I was right in the first place and I have the code because the vvt gear was torqued down in the wrong position so when vvt operates I get that retarded cam timing code. Also no acceleration went the pedal is demanded.

@@ballsdeep420x Yeah in reality it doesn't really matter how the VVT actuator is positioned because the oil passages encapsulate it. We just want to be sure that the chain doesn't have any loose spots in its rotation that would be noticed in between the two cam sprockets

The VVT sprocket should already be in the locked position naturally when installing it. If it isn't, it is worn out and should be replaced

@@WannabeTuners Ok great, Thank you for your reply.

@@stevengrappy8664 You're welcome :)

Is vvti sprocket orientation critical?

There is no specific orientation for the VVT actuator that I am aware of because oil encapsulates it evenly

The only reason we did the job a second time was to ensure that we evened out the chain tension. It was more for peace of mind. It had no issues otherwise.

@@WannabeTuners ok thank you.

I'm having the same problem, did you find a fix?

@@dareco1611 yeah, the gasket kit I ordered was for a standard Mazda 6 and not the speed. It couldn't build enough compression so it would just die.. had to pull the head off a 2nd time and put the right gasket on. Frustrating.

We used a Land Rover spanner tool, we posted the part number and measurements of it on our instagram page :)

The position of the VVT actuator doesn't matter, as oil fully encapsulates it no matter what position it's installed in ;)

31:33 but didn't you say the vvt act. had to be oriented with the cap pointing upwards? Others say to just put it back same way old one came out, and mine had the aligned slots on the inside pointing straight up.

@@modeljetjuggernaut4864 The position of the stopper pin on the VVT actuator doesn't actually matter. Oil will enter it no matter which position it's in.

75 ft lbs, then an additional 90 degrees

Glad it's helping brother! I can't remember of the top of my head, but I think that in order to replace the crankshaft friction washer that sits behind the sprocket for the oil pump, the sprocket itself has to be removed. But in order to remove the sprocket, the oil pump chain and sprocket on the actual oil pump may have to come off. You can try and remove the oil pump chain tensioner and guide to see if you can just lift the chain off of the crankshaft sprocket and just slide it out :)

Thanks so much!!

@@bryanflores8720 You're welcome dude!

Me again trying to get the hpfp on but the spring keeps fight back

@@bryanflores8720 Try rotating the engine to have the lobe on the camshaft more flat, then evenly tighten it down. Carefully not to strip those small inverted torx bolts.

Yep you'll notice that when the camshaft locking plate is installed, if the cams are in the correct orientation, the cam lobes on the intake and exhaust cams will be facing each other at 45 degrees on cylinder 1

If the job has never been done before, or you don't know the history on the car, I would replace it :)

For the initial torqueing we used a bolt that threads through the crank pulley and into the timing cover. Then for the additional 90 degrees we removed that small bolt to prevent potential damage to the timing cover, and used a counter hold tool (part number LRT-12-093) with two nuts and bolts. This is not a Mazda specialty tool and any spanner of similar design will do the job. Please note that during the final 90 degrees, all timing tools need to be removed. This included the cam locking plate, TDC pin, and crank pulley centering bolt to prevent damage :)

Thanks man! The pressure in the fuel rail will be pretty high after engine shutdown. You can relieve the pressure by just cracking the high pressure fuel line loose at the high pressure fuel pump. The fuel spray will not be substantial but safety glasses should be used. Unfortunately we have never removed the head on this engine, but if and when we do, we will definitely make a video ;)

@@WannabeTuners thanks guys! Another question for ya- do you think the turbo will have to completely be removed to get the head off? Or will taking out the manifold bolts do?

@@craigzilla100 No the turbo and manifold have to be completely removed imo. There are too many coolant and oil lines as well as a support bracket for the turbo. Even with all that removed, I don't think the exhaust piping will allow for the manifold to be pushed back far enough off the exhaust studs on the head

@@WannabeTuners good to know. I appreciate it guys. Your channel is valued!

@@craigzilla100 Thanks man we're happy it helps the community

It was at 120,000 kms (75,000 miles). The VVT actuator didn't appear damaged or worn externally, but the chain had some slack in it

Cool mine has 185k LoL

Fran Mitch that’s funny I’m here watching this video. My Speed3 has 185k it might need replacing!

@@unnervingshadowyt8176 not sure how long they will last in my area that same motor is in the little ford rangers and I've seen the motor go over 200k with absolutely no maintenance ever done

There is no keyway on the crankshaft or the cams, the only thing that prevents everything from slipping out of time are the friction washers and tightening those bolts down to the correct torque spec. It is a very unique design that was probably intended to cut production costs. A lot of people rebuilding their engines with forged internals will get the crankshaft and sprockets keyed just in case, however the friction washer setup has been shown to handle quite a lot of power (from what I've read people have made up to 500 hp without a keyed crank). Imo if your rebuilding and forging the engine, it's better to get the crank keyed as there are no downsides to doing so :)

If all the timing tools line back up after rotating the engine over 720 degrees, than you should be good

The resistance you feel is from the compression inside the cylinders on the compression stroke

@@WannabeTuners awesome, thanks so much for confirming.

It could be the vvt actuator. Are you getting a check engine light? Or any fault codes?

Tbh I wouldn't have because I've heard that this can mess with torque readings, but if the engine hasn't had any issues then it should be fine :)

@@WannabeTuners thanks guys hopefully it won’t have issues

They are bad from factory on the mazda 2.3 MZR disi turbo. Mazda had a recall period to correct the the issue with a revised vvt actuator free of charge, but it is no longer covered and most people don't really look for recall info on their cars so there are a lot of these motors out there that still need the updated part.

For us it wasn't too severe. There was a brief rattle at start up that would quickly go away once oil filled the actuator and tensioner. This was caused from the chain contacting the valve cover due to a worn vvt causing to much slack in the chain. The chain can be checked by removing the oil filler cap only with Gen 1 valve covers, as Gen 2 valve covers have a baffle plate preventing you from being able to check the chain for slack by pulling on it with your finger ;)

@@WannabeTuners Thanks - I too have done this already but am finding there is a bit of a rattle/ticking AFTER the engine is warm. When the engine is cold it sounds fine. I threw on the VVT in a random orientation and tightened both cam sprockets before releasing the tensioner. Likely to do this again if I don't find a different culprit. Was hoping you had similar reasons to redo this XD

@@thebigdille The orientation of the VVT actuator doesn't matter. What's important is evening out chain tension by fitting the chain and sprockets loosely in place, pushing the tensioner guide with your hand to take up the slack, and then releasing the tensioner pin. With both cam sprocket bolts loose, and the cranksprocket able to spin freely, and all guides in place, you are able to rotate the VVT sprocket clockwise by hand. Rotate it several times so that the tension on the chain is even at every section. Then proceed to tighten the cam sprockets and verify that nothing shifted in the process by ensuring the chain remains tight in between the two cam sprockets. We outline it pretty well in the video but it's very possible that certain areas of your chain may have more slack then others. Do u have a video of the sound?

@@WannabeTuners ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-h14Xu2gsw24.html

Edgeautosport sells the Timing chain replacement kit, as well as the 'Massive Speed System' Timing tool kit. The replacement kit does not come with an exhaust cam bolt or friction washer, as the procedure does not require you to loosen the exhaust cam. The only problem with not loosening the exhaust cam, is that evening out chain tension as depicted in the video is near impossible. I would highly recommend ordering the exhaust cam bolt and friction washer for this reason. Here's the link for the Timing chain replacement kit which gives you the option to select whether you want to add the 'Massive Speed System' timing tool kit :) edgeautosport.com/mazda-oem-vvt-replacement-kit-mazdaspeed-3-2007-2013-mazdaspeed-6-2006-2007/

Absolutely and likely :)

Try using thicker viscosity oil... That can resolve that code at times

@@WannabeTuners my ms3 doesn't have any codes. However, when i start the car i can hear the timing chain rattle for a quarter of a second. Is that normal? Or is something wrong?

@@Carlos-wj3nu Hey man that brief rattle at startup is the timing chain hitting the valve cover and is an indication of a worn VVT actuator. I had the same issue with mine. I would definitely carry out this repair and replace the VVT actuator, timing chain, tensioner, guides, friction washers, and crank bolt. Edgeautosport sells a kit.

@@WannabeTuners Thanks for the reply and for the advice. Do you know the consequences of not taking care of it right away?

Yeah for sure! Thanks man:)

Wannabe Tuners Thank you!

The crankshaft has a total of 3 friction washers, and the camshaft sprockets each have 1 friction washer

Where can I find the friction washers to get them

Both sides are not the same for the crankshaft timing sprocket. The side with more lip faces out, away from the engine. The crank sprocket for the oil pump is the same on both sides and can be installed either way :)

You could try a large vice grip plier, and yes it is loosened counter clockwise :)

We used a generic spanner and threaded in some nuts and bolts. I'm pretty sure they can be rented from certain auto stores. Check this thread out: www.mazdaspeedforums.org/forum/f10/looks-like-autozone-now-can-rent-crank-213751/

Hey man this is exactly what we used (Part # LRT-12-093), but any sturdy spanner with holes that are 3 inches apart should work. We have close up pictures of it on our instagram page :)

The first time around we had just installed the new VVT but didn't loosen the exhaust cam which would have allowed us to rotate the chain drive by hand to even out the tension. With the crankshaft pulley off, and the two cam sprockets loose, the VVT can be rotated by hand which evens out the tension on the chain drive throughout it's entire rotation prior to tightening everything down. This needs to be done with the tensioner fully engaged ie. The pin pulled, and all the friction washers and crank pulley bolt need to be replaced. Replacing the cam sprocket bolts is also recommended :)

So, do you put the chain through a whole rotation to even out the tension?

It's just to prevent damaging the camshafts and or cam locking plate in the event that the camshafts are not being properly counterheld

Gotcha, thanks for the detailed video!

It currently has about 146,000 kms (91,000 miles) on it :)

Yes the engine will then need to be re-timed

We used an angle grinder wrench. Luckily the one we had was a perfect fit. A screwdriver can also be used by sticking it through one of the holes on the oil pump sprocket and counterholding it against the pump itself.

@@WannabeTuners Ok, i was considering using a screwdriver but was quite wary of it. I'll give it a go tomorrow. Thanks, i love that youre still replying to comments on this vid.

@@pleasedontkermitcrime3968 I've got the RU-vid app on my phone so it's quite convenient lol. In terms of losening, using a screw driver with an impact gun makes it easy. But when tightening, it'll be beneficial to have someone else hold the screw driver when tightening it down with a ratchet. It's best to tighten this bolt to torque spec imo, but by hand has worked for us :)

Thanks man!

Hard to say really. I'd just crack the bolts loose first using a suitable counterhold, then fully remove them. Then you can slowly work the pulley off. Spraying some WD40 or any rust penetrant and letting it soak will definitely help.

@@WannabeTuners got 2 bolts off so far. running to the parts store tmrw for a stud extractor.

I would try and gently rotate the cams until the intake and exhaust cam lobes on cylinder 1 are facing eachother at a 45 degree angle, then install the cam locking plate. Then slowly rotate the crankshaft until cylinder 1 gets close to TDC. Install the TDC pin and continue rotating until the counter weight contacts the pin. If you feel resistance, theres a good chance one of the pistons are contacting an open valve, so the cams may need to be rotated. Always rotate slow to ensure no piston or valve damage when rotating either the cams or the crank. When doing the final torque on the crank pulley, ensure that the crankshaft is still making contact with the TDC pin by using a vise grip to attempt and rotate the crankshaft closewise again. If it doesn't rotate and is still pushed up against the TDC pin, you're good to go :)

@@WannabeTuners Thank you so much. I got it at TDC. I was real worried there for a second. But this was extremely helpful. Much appreciated.

No I don't believe it is possible. There is no room to remove the chain or the cam sprockets without removing the timing cover

@@WannabeTuners I have done it! :) I have not removed timing chain cover or pulleys. I removed camshafts together with pulleys (my engine without VVT) . It was not easy to put everything back, but its possible. :) Thank you for this video. It was very helpful to understand this engine construction. :)

@@modemas9112 Thanks eh! Glad to hear :)

@@modemas9112 the bolts hit the cover if you try to pull them out. And the tensioner will pull the sprockets down I don't see how it's possible. I just replaced a head on mine I can't see how you kept the sprockets in place

No it's not possible