How bad did I screw up please tell me cam gear came loose what do I do?

[Garichette]

Was going about 30 when this happened please help me out

 

[Irish Pride]

You will need to replace that camshaft obviously, but otherwise the engine should be fine. These arent interference engines unless you have upgraded cams. What i would be concerned about is what caused that. Have you done any recent work to the car? Front 60K maybe? Usually when a cam fails like that its from the cam gear bolts not being properly torqued or because the timing belt was set way too tight.

 

[Devin]

http://www.shopowered.com/data/data-torque-specs.htm

I don't see any bolt studs sticking out, so my guess is they were not torqued to spec. With that said, if you torque them too much, you will break a head off!

Irish is right though, unless you are running a high profile cam, you should be just fine. Check your belt tension, you should be able to crank the engine over by hand with the belt on.

 

[pjtoledo]

the cam broke, that's hard to do. I would take a real good look at the cam bearing saddles in the head.

 

[Garichette]

Thanks for the fast responses! I think I'm going to pull the engine later this week I believe it needs the 60k stuff done and a clutch soon anyway. I think whoever changed the timing belt last May have over tightened the **** out of it... Any recommendations while I have it up and out?

 

[Garichette]

So I didn't pull the engine, got the broken cam out ordering a new one today but Im worried about my timing when I get the new one. I just have to bolt the pully and sproket on and line up the dots? dont wanna get it wrong..

 

[Toolman]

When you get cam, check back and we will walk you through the process

 

[Toolman]

What did the rest of the cam look like ?

 

[rubydist]

I have seen cams break from too tight of timing belt. That would be my first guess.

When the sprocket bolts are not tight, or the dowel pin is missing, the bolts will break off, in my experience.

 

[Garichette]

Here's the old one nothing wrong with the rest of it just a clean break

 

[Garichette]

But I found this where the pulley snapped not sure if that might hurt the new one. Any thoughts?

 

[luigisho]

I would look for a good used head with cams still in it and be done with it

 

[rubydist]

well, the seal has to be able to seal up that outer bore, so if you cannot fill it with rtv and be sure of it not leaking, then a new head is in order. However, head gaskets are not easy to find, so make sure you source that before you tear into it...

 

[Devin]

Here's the old one nothing wrong with the rest of it just a clean break

Hmm, that is a bit of carnage that is new to me.

 

[Garichette]

Is my new cam I the right place the pully doesn't sit tdc it has to be moved half way through a rotation to be tdc is this normal?

 

[Garichette]

Timing marks

 

[Irish Pride]

Did you line up the timing marks on the gears with the timing links on the chain? You need to line up the two cams at the tensioner end and then you will line up the sprocket on the other end with the timing mark on the back timing cover plate.

 

[Garichette]

Not sure what you mean here is the other side the gear only went on one way and it had to be in a specific link in the chain still not sure though.. What do you think?

 

[Toolman]

Is my new cam I the right place the pully doesn't sit tdc it has to be moved half way through a rotation to be tdc is this normal?

Yes that is normal. To be at TDC, the cam will be "loaded" with tension. So without the belt installed the cam will not want to sit at TDC, it will always want to "settle" into an "unloaded" position.

I assume the pics of the cam gears/chain are before you moved it to TDC. Based on those pics, your TB gear and cam gears will be lined up as they should.

 

[Toolman]

Retake the pics of chain while at TDC.