Ok guys, as you can tell from the title, i need as much input as possible. I have had a new problem arise since my rebuild and this one is quite critical. I haven't done any damage yet, but i'm afriad for my life that if i try to start it anymore I will throw my nice new rebuilt engine as well as the $3000 right out the window.

I started it up today to go to work and when i did so, i heard a high pitch whine coming from under the hood. Sounded like it was on the clutch side, but it wasn't. Told myself it must be a belt slipping...so naturally i pop the hood open to pinpoint the problem and within 1 glance i found it. My timing belt was about 1/4" to 1/2" from sliding right off the back of the cam gears...the whine got louder, the rpms started to climb so i dropped my hood (almost broke my latch, but didn't) and shut it off. Went back under the hood and began to pull the belt back onto the gear a bit...used a screwdriver as a small prybar on the belt below the gears to get it situated on the idler and tensioner bearings and i could slide the belt back on the gears with minimal strength. still had to put some behind, but not alot. Ok well i called my roommate and asked him if he had a minute to come over and give me a small hand, so that i could watch the belt and have him shut off the engine as needed and sure enough...right back to almost being off. Found an oil leak at the valve cover in the corner near the intake cam where i'm thinking the problem is coming from. My guess is that there is oil being shot onto the belt causing it to slide...my buddies say it is my tensioner going out and aaron says that it it the fact that i'm missing a couple teeth (not in a row though...just one took in between) on my exhaust cam causing it not to seat correctly on the gears. Are all these theories possible answers? Are there any other problems that might be the cause of this? It kinda makes me mad, because I'm at college and all my tools are back home, and i kicked my car's ass for the first time after my rebuild last night (700ish miles later) and it performed flawlessly...now this happens. Any input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

-Ben

Originally posted by KnightHawk434th
Ok guys, as you can tell from the title, i need as much input as possible. I have had a new problem arise since my rebuild and this one is quite critical. I haven't done any damage yet, but i'm afriad for my life that if i try to start it anymore I will throw my nice new rebuilt engine as well as the $3000 right out the window. I started it up today to go to work and when i did so, i heard a high pitch whine coming from under the hood. Sounded like it was on the clutch side, but it wasn't. Told myself it must be a belt slipping...so naturally i pop the hood open to pinpoint the problem and within 1 glance i found it. My timing belt was about 1/4" to 1/2" from sliding right off the back of the cam gears...the whine got louder, the rpms started to climb so i dropped my hood (almost broke my latch, but didn't) and shut it off. Went back under the hood and began to pull the belt back onto the gear a bit...used a screwdriver as a small prybar on the belt below the gears to get it situated on the idler and tensioner bearings and i could slide the belt back on the gears with minimal strength. still had to put some behind, but not alot. Ok well i called my roommate and asked him if he had a minute to come over and give me a small hand, so that i could watch the belt and have him shut off the engine as needed and sure enough...right back to almost being off. Found an oil leak at the valve cover in the corner near the intake cam where i'm thinking the problem is coming from. My guess is that there is oil being shot onto the belt causing it to slide...my buddies say it is my tensioner going out and aaron says that it it the fact that i'm missing a couple teeth (not in a row though...just one took in between) on my exhaust cam causing it not to seat correctly on the gears. Are all these theories possible answers? Are there any other problems that might be the cause of this? It kinda makes me mad, because I'm at college and all my tools are back home, and i kicked my car's ass for the first time after my rebuild last night (700ish miles later) and it performed flawlessly...now this happens. Any input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks -Ben

Are you kidding? You just dropped $3k on a motor and didn't bother replacing a $20 cam gear? That's just dumb. I'd say it could be any of those or the combination. Spend the $100 on the tensioner if its never been changed, the $20 on a new cam gear and fix your leak before starting the car up again. BTW is the oil leak from the valve cover or is it just near there. I had a leak in that area and it turned out to be the cam seal on the intake cam was fubar'd

i figured i might be able to get by for now until i can get some more money to replace those cam gears. anyhow, i plan on getting a new tensioner, so is the mechanical one any good or no? i plan on replacing BOTH the cam gears (junkyard maybe if NEED be...or parts store...whatever is cheaper/in stock). also, the leak looks like a pool in the back corner and there is oil on the head where the cover seats...so it might be that seal, and it could be the vc gasket as well...either way to replace that i need a new vc gasket. i think i got an extra cam seal that came with my head gasket set but will check. for now my car isn't gonna start up for any reason what so ever will the thing gets fixed. got in touch with AAA today, but our policy for the 100-mile free tow won't kick in until friday morning, so they coming friday afternoon to pick my car up and tow it back home. then i get to spend my weekend fixing my car! what a lovely thing...get it fixed, and then it runs well for awhile...and then something else goes wrong...i guess welcome to life.....thanks for the input. look like my student loan i get this week is going out the window.

Ya, I can't believe you put that much money into it and wouldn't replace the cam gears or tensioner. Its always a good idea to replace the tensioner whenever your redoing timing equipment. You may not have fucked up your engine yet. If you keep running it like that theres a good chance you going to slip a tooth on your cam gears and then destroy your engine.

Do it right the first time.

ordered new parts (ebay gears, mechanical tensioner...belt is only 2 wks old...maybe 500 miles on it) last night and will do a timing change next weekend (since my parts won't be here till next week). until then AAA coming to pick up my car tomorrow afternoon and tow it back home so it can sit. i fear even letting it run for 1 minute since that belt is all out of wack. just spent $3000, don't wanna spend $3000 more.............

If you plan to re-use that belt thoroughly inspect it and make sure there isn't any damage to it.

Granted of course a new one is always best but if your short on cash...