Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Timing belt replacement

Just replaced my 2013 M3W a second time. First one broke resulting in an $800 midnight flat bed tow to a S&S dealer certified to work on the X-Wedge engine (surprisingly not many are!). After about 2,000 miles I noticed cracks on the new belt. So I bought another belt and the vented cover and this is what I did (obligatory: do this at your own risk warning):


Morgan Three Wheeler Cam Belt Replacement Instructions

Tools needed:

• Torx T-45 bit (preferably one that connects to your socket ratchet)
• allen wrenches
• regular open ended wrench set
• paint can or similar height stand
• THREE (3) STEEL 3/16” PINS. About 2 inches long. NO WOOD DOWELS! Machine shop
supply houses sell them, or your local hardware store may sell a long rod you can cut down

1. Work on a level surface, and set the hand brake, DO NOT put it in gear, (keep in neutral)

2. Remove license plate (two Allen bolts)

3. Remove front cam belt cover (4 Allen bolts) and you will see:
a) 2 Idler pulleys on top
b) 3 large cam sprockets (near top and middle)
c) 1 cam belt tensioner (lower middle)
d) 1 crank pinion sprocket (lowest)

4. Using your phone, take a few photos of what you see, to reference later

5. Use a Torx 45 (“T-45”) bit to rotate crank pinion sprocket until the little notch on that sprocket’s edge is pointing exactly at the “FTDC” marking on the surface next to it

6. Each of the 3 large cam sprockets have one 3/16 inch “cam sprocket timing hole” inside them, smaller than all the other holes. Those 3/16 inch holes should be aligned with (somewhat hard to see) drilled out holes in the plate behind them

a) Insert STEEL (DO NOT USE WOOD!) 3/16 inch dowels into each of those 3/16 inch holes – one per cam sprocket. This will lock the sprockets into place to preserve the cam timing.

b) If the pins do not go in, don’t worry, you can adjust the cams a bit after the belt is off and install them then.

7. Use a 17mm or 11/16” open end wrench to turn the bolt (behind a small washer) on the Cam Belt Tensioner clock wise until it comes to its stop (the “stop” is a small aluminum tab just to the left of the pulley). You are UN-tensioning the belt tensioner. Hold the wrench in place with a paint can or strap or what every you have.

8. Use an Allen wrench to remove the two Idler pulleys. Note: each pulley has a higher flange (edge) on one end to guide the belt. The left pulley has the flange on the back, away from you, the right side is reversed with the flange towards you. Each Idler pulley has a bolt and two special washers (each with a raised edge, more on that later). There may be a small rubber ring holding them all as one piece, or not (in which case the bolt & washers may slide apart).

9. Remove the belt. If possible, leave the wrench holding the Cam Belt Tensioner as is.

10. At this point, if you were not able to install the steel 3/16” pins into their respective holes in the cam sprockets, do that now. A little bit of rotating should be all that is needed. The pins should fit a bit snug and should not wiggle much. NOTE: if you use wood dowels, they may crush or wiggle, messing up cam timing and not allowing the engine to start. Don’t ask me how I know this…

11. With pins holding the cam sprockets, and the Crank Pinion Sprocket’s notch exactly at FTDC, go ahead and begin to install the new belt (with printed wording on it facing you). Use the photos you took as a reference or the back side of the exterior cam cover has a diagram on it as well. I started from the bottom up, but you can try any method that works for you.

a) Wind the belt around such that there is a minimum of looseness, make it snug, use a clothes pin where needed.

b) Getting the belt around the finally pulley or sprocket will require some but not severe effort. If it does not go, remove the wrench from the Cam Belt Tensioner and rotate the tensioner a bit, then reapply the wrench to UN-tension the tensioner and try again.

12. With the belt finally on, and keeping the wrench on the Cam Belt Tensioner (Tensioner is un-tensioned) you should have enough slack to relatively easily bolt on the two upper Idler pulley, bolt & washers. Apply 20 ft lbs of torque.

a) Note, if the Idler pulley, bolt and washers came apart during removal (ie the tiny rubber ring holding them together is missing) the washers have an indented edge that allow them to partially fit into the Idler pulley’s bearings and help keep the Idler Pulley centered around the bolt. If you bolt the Idler pulley on properly, you should see its Allen head is centered inside the pulley and NOT off center. If they are off center, the washers are not properly seated on the bearing, do it again. As you assemble the Idler, washers and bolt (if they came apart upon removal) you will see the logic.

b) Remember the left Idler pulley has it’s pronounced flange towards the engine, the right side Idler pulley’s pronounced flange is towards you.

c) The second Idler will require more pushing down against the belt to make sure the Allen bolt goes in straight.

13. Release the wrench from the Cam Belt Tensioner, and you will see the belt tighten up a bit.

14. Before attaching your cam cover (you bought the new VENTED version from S&S, right?) start up the M3W and see how everything is spinning around. If ok, turn off the engine and re-install the cam cover and license plate. Note, the new vented covers do not require the gasket.

15. Relax and have a Bourbon, Scotch, glass of milk, whatever you use to relax. You earned it. Use your old cam cover to serve pretzles, because no on on ebay will buy it.


and let me know if I missed anything here.