4AGE Timing belt noise?

[eight666]

Any help diagnosing this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... kknIaf43lg

Noise started about a week ago. After the noise started I started small.
New oil
new cap and rotor
new plugs

Then I pulled the cam gear cover off and it was pretty apparent. The belt was sort of loose and flappy looking and the sound goes away when I apply pressure (with the screw driver handle as seen in the video)

ANY help on what to do next would be rad. I'll do a timing belt job if I have to, but I figured I would check if I have other options (easier options)

BTW, no drop in performance after noise started.

[eight666]

here is another video that just shows the belt from a few angles without me messing with it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2PNM49YUEc

[totta crolla]

The easy fix would be a loose cam pulley wheel.
The not so easy fix would be a cambelt tensioner fault.
The really nasty fix would be a crank pulley fault.

So check these things in this order !

[eight666]

Thanks... I did more research about all these things, and other diagnoses of bad timing belt tensioner seem to fit my symptoms. I should probably just do a timing belt job then and get it all out of the way. I'll definitely check the cam pulley wheel first though. Thanks again

[BakaBaka]

I'm going to bet 1 pubic hair that it's the belt tensioner.

[jondee86]

It only takes a few minutes to remove the middle timing belt cover, and then you
should be able to see this...



After adjustment, the tensioner pulley is locked in place by tightening the centre bolt.
If your belt still has all its teeth, loosen the centre bolt one turn. The pulley is slotted so
that it can move from side to side, and the spring will pull it forward to take the slack
out of the belt. If you can, put a socket on the crank pulley bolt and slowly rotate the
engine in a clockwise direction (looking from the front). The pulley will move in and out
slightly, and you want to stop when the pulley is furtherest to the right. Tighten up the
centre bolt. Your belt is now tensioned

Try this first, as changing the timing belt can test your patience if the crank pulley does
not want to come off. If you do have to change the belt, I recommend you get a friend
who has changed a timing belt before, to give you a hand.

Cheers... jondee86

[ae86xy]

Replace your tensioner and while your at it timing belt,water pump

[carbd7age]

You need this:

http://www.hachiroku.com.au/forums/show ... -Available

Well, you need a new tensioner and belt for sure.

[eight666]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. My car finally died from this issue (belt skipped more teeth) but it's in a paint booth anyway so I wasn't going to be driving it anyway. I ordered everything I need so ill post back with my progress (belt, tensioner, water pump, all the good stuff)

Thanks!!!

[allencr]

You need this:

Why, unless the head & block have been machined and it doesn't have adjustable pulleys?

[krammit the frog]

A tensioner and belt are cheap enough, I would definitely replace them first. What likely happened in the spring on the tensioner broke, causing the bearing to release all the pressure. You can tighten the bolt down hard enough that you probably don't even need the spring, but it could have slipped.

Do you normally run with your timing cover off? Chance that something got in there if so.

[eight666]

Nah, just took timing cover off for the vid.

I bought the following parts (OEM), they should start shuffling in this week
-Belt Tensioner / idler
-Tensioner spring
-Tensioner bolt
-timing belt
-Water pump and gasket
-Cam seals and crank seal
-timing cover gaskets
-oil dipstick O-ring

and maybe a few other things im forgetting

[jondee86]

What likely happened in the spring on the tensioner broke, causing the bearing to
release all the pressure. You can tighten the bolt down hard enough that you probably
don't even need the spring, but it could have slipped.

The spring is only there to help you when you are tensioning the belt. The tensioner
pulley should always be locked down tight once the tension is set. Then the spring does
nothing until the next time you adjust the belt tension. The timing belt is a wearing part,
and really should be checked perhaps once a year, and re-tensioned as necessary.

I just looked at an engine that had 50,000 miles on the belt, and it was definitely worn
(stretched if you like) to the point where I re-tensioned it. The belt itself was in good
enough condition, so I left it on. But if I had the engine stripped, I would have replaced
the belt... cheap insurance against breaking down at an awkward time

Cheers... jondee86

[BakaBaka]

At times like this.. I'm glad the 4AGE is not an interference motor. If I skipped more than 2 teeth on my STI.. its "bye-bye" valves to say the least.

[Illegal_Garage]

$175 seems kinda over priced by $100 IMO

Max

[krammit the frog]

Yeah Jondee, the spring is pretty much unnecessary, unless the bolt on the tensioner was not tight enough and backed off. That would be the only thing I could think of.