Im making an effort of installing the timimg belt on my 86 2.2 liter.

Its a struggle and im having trouble getting the Belt over the Cam sprocket. One set of instructions online says to make it easier,you can remove the cam sprocket,put the belt over it and reinstall everything like that.

All was going well untill the camshaft woodruff key came out and fell on the ground(in the dirt of course)

I searched and searched and cant find it.I even used a collander to sift the dirt in attempts to finding that darn thing. Are these keys magnetic? Id like to take a magnet and search for it that way if possible.

Are the woodruff keys avaialable anywhere else? Say a dealership? Im betting I have to buy a whole cam kit to get the key from the dealer though.

Anyone ever experience something like this and can anyone tell me where to get another one??

Just to clarify things a little, keyway is the slot the key fits in. Yes the key is ferrous so a magnet should pick it up. The key should be able to be gotten at the dealer all by itself. Shouldn't be more than a buck or two.

Thanks stumpy,I was just doing a little research and you are correct,its not a keyway I lost,Its the woodruff key. I made the correction to my post. Thanks for enlightening me.Ill visit the dealership tomorrow.

Well we don't want the parts guy giving you one of THOSE looks when you ask for the part.

Then Id end up going all over town asking for the wrong part,noone would have it and id end up pulling my hair out.Again I thank you for the correction.

Like when I was a private in the Army,they sent me to supply to get a box of "Grid squares"and "chemlight batteries"

I'd look around the engine bay, probably didn't fall all the way to the ground.

Always happens to me, end up finding the nut/bolt/washer sitting on something.

In the Air Force it was propwash that you got sent to find.

I needed one for my lawnmower and found a package at Advance Auto of assorted Woodruff keys. Who'da thunk it?

Hey it wasn't just you guys in the miltary.

We used to call Radio Shack and ask for fallopian tubes (for you younger members, there were tubes in electronics BEFORE transistors).

As for the original problem. I've never had a problem getting a belt on a 2.2/2.5. Do you have the tensioner loose enough?

Taking the cam sprocket off is not the easier way to do it. As ask before, check the tensioner. If all the teeth are engaged in the crank and intermediate shaft sprockets and the tensioner is loose, you should have no trouble at all pushing the belt on the cam sprocket.

Tensioner is as loose as possible. I got the "Suggestion" to to take the cam sprocket off to aide in installation here:

Cam sprocket removal suggestion is stated In step #7 in the Belt removal section and then again on step #2(second section) on install

http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/enginetiming.html


Ill have to recheck the application and the Part numbers to ensure I got the correct belt if all else fails

They did have 2 belys on some of those.I cant remember what year they started.One was a square tooth one round tooth.I did a ton at work in before.The belts are usually tight but Ive never had to remove the cam gear.They will slide on if you keep working them.I did remove the tensioner on a few to make install easier.Just dont over toghten the belt when you adjust it.They had a tool for that but I could just do it by feel.Rocky

Are you sure you have a 2.2 and not an 86 2.5 (which I believe is a raised deck 2.2)?

All the tags and emission labels under the hood say its a 2.2 liter

Last time I did one I took the cam gear off, I just found it easier than trying to line up the belt to slide tightly over a those teeth on the sprocket.

Racer Al youve done it Again!!! You a genius when it comes to part numbers and such. Thanks for your help on this part number.

I called the dealership back,I called them earlier and they said there was a listing for a Crank Key but no cam Key.


I called back and talked to the more knowledgeable parts guy and he said he was actually able to pull it up on the computer and they have it in stock. I made sure it was the part number listed above,and its a match. Im heading down there to get it as soon as I finish writing this. Thanks again everyone!!