engine clatter

[mrh2619]

I,m having a 93 ATX , 101,000 miles. Had it 10 years. Did the 60k about 4 years ago.
Started the car the other day & it started but sounded like a clattering in the front of the engine(timing belt area). Took it apart and found the crank bolt was loooose.Other than that everything looked fine. How do you know if the TB tensioner is bad? Took everything i got to compress it in a bench vice. Also couldn't get the crank gear off. Do you remove the woodruf key first? How? I,m about to give up on this car.

 

[93rev2sev]

1. Timing belt tensioner:

Compress the piston with a c-clamp(or vise..but don't crank too hard with a vise...it sounds like you might have, already). When the c-clamp gets tight and wont turn any more, stop and wait a minute. After waiting a minute, crank the c-clamp again. If you are able to tighten it a little more but still can't get the allen wrench(or whatever) in the hole, wait another minute and crank some more. Repeat until you are able to get the allen wrench in the hole. (it took me about five 1-minute waits on my last ATX tensioner...it was a good one). I've seen tensioners that crank down all the way with little effort...those ones are bad.

If you are able to crank it down all the way in one shot...the tensioner is probably uhh...shot.

2. Crank gear(not pulley) removal:

Use the longest of your timing belt cover bolts. You need 2 of them. Remove it the same way you remove a crank pully...with a crank pully puller...or steering wheel puller.

Make sure the woodruff key, crank keyway, crank pully keyway are all in VERY GOOD SHAPE.

What you have described(loose crank pully) is THE cause of "crank cancer".

 

[mrh2619]

Never did get the tb gear off. Got everything back together but how do i tighten the crank bolt to 125 ft/lbs.. The motor turns. Its an atx.

 

[SHOMON]

I used a c-clamp on the damper pulley. It took a couple of tries but it tightened up. I also tourqued it in two steps first to like 110 lb/ft then 125.

 

[Bizzy]

I used a c-clamp on the damper pulley. It took a couple of tries but it tightened up. I also tourqued it in two steps first to like 110 lb/ft then 125.

Indeed that is a good way, however put a small piece of 1x4 between the c-clamp clamping surfaces and the pulley. If you don't you risk taking chunks out of the crank pulley which is what happened on my son's car. Once you get the c-clamp in place, turn the crank bolt until the clamp meets up with the fire wall, then torque it down. If it slips a bit, tighten the c-clamp up more.