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MercianRover

Member Since: 07 Apr 2022
Location: Culworth
Posts: 165

1998 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Java Black

Setting the timing belt tension - torque wrench type

Hello,
Gathering tools together for a timing belt replacement and oil leak rectification.

I noticed the Land-Rover manual recommends a dial type torque wrench for this.

Would a beam-type torque wrench also be suitable?

It seems to me that the ability to view the torque as it is applied to the tensioner is the key thing for this task.

5th Aug 2025 11:40am

julian

Member Since: 17 Feb 2017
Location: Devon
Posts: 189

1994 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Alpine White

I've got one of those cheap needle type ones. Had it for years.

I'd rather one with the dial. But I don't have one.

I've done a number of 300 belts.

5th Aug 2025 12:55pm

donmacn

Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1905

I’ve only done the job a couple of times. I used a beam type, but needed to get one especially so that it had a decent enough range over the torque (only 11Nm or something small like that?)

I thought that if I used a larger one, with a wider scale, I wouldn’t really be able to gauge any movement of the needle.

Probably over-thinking it (as usual…)! Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...

5th Aug 2025 7:07pm

Retroanaconda

Member Since: 04 Jan 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2762

I’ve done loads of belts with the beam-type and never had an issue. As above get one with an appropriate range that means the scale is easier to read.

5th Aug 2025 7:53pm

Oldowner

Member Since: 26 Dec 2018
Location: South west
Posts: 677

2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Aintree Green

A modern digital torque wrench will allow you to see the actual torque being applied. I have always used Snap On Techwrench / Angletech digital wrenches but nowadays there are cheap copies of these wenches at 1/10th of the price which would do the same thing.

Back in the early days I had an MHH Torqueleader dial wrench for the 300 tensioner which was the recommended factory tool, I expect these could be picked up for next to nothing on eBay.

6th Aug 2025 5:33am

MercianRover

Member Since: 07 Apr 2022
Location: Culworth
Posts: 165

Thank you for the replies, I'm considering buying one of these:

https://www.parktool.com/en-int/product/be...-nm-tw-1-2

I looked at the MHH Torqueleader on ebay but the few I found had a minimum reading which was too high for this task.

6th Aug 2025 8:29am

donmacn

Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1905

^^ I think that’s exactly the one I bought for this job.

Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...

6th Aug 2025 8:58am

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