Timing Dust

[MOSHO92]

I'm changing my CPS due to a failure. When i removed the timing covers i found a whole lot of redish brown dust inside. This dust had coated everything (including the CPS). What could this be from? The timing belt rubbing maybe? It doesnt feel metalic. It is redish but when you smear it on your hands it turns black. Any ideas people?

 

[X-15 SHO]

Uhhh...I not positive, but my thought is that you have a slight leak from your cam seals or a very very worn timing belt.

 

[Rob94]

sounds like timing belt dust to me

 

[projectSHO89]

None of the above.

Inspect for "crank cancer". See here: http://www.shoforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=004947#000003

Use the SEARCH as needed for more info on "crank cancer".

Steve

<small>[ February 13, 2003, 08:06 AM: Message edited by: projectSHO89 ]</small>

 

[SHOZ123]

Check your idler pulley bearings.

 

[Rob94]

In other words, check everything.

 

[fredhurderjr]

Follow the link above to heartache.

Here's the update on my status:

The gear, key, dampener all were replaced. I had tried JB Weld (alone), Loctite, welding the woodruff key in place, and a combination of these. George Fourchy has a nice writeup on crank cancer on shotimes.com

I'm going on week #2 now with the current "fix". The woodruff key was JB Welded in place, with the gear placed on, the retainer disc & dampener in place, and the crank bolt snugged. It was left a day to cure, and then the front half was disassembled & welded - crank gear to retainer disc to dampener, and then the bolt itself was welded.

This approach requires NO lower timing cover. I currently have all 3 covers removed & the CPS wiring zip-tied out of the way to keep it from rubbing on the timing belt & waterpump pulley.

The downside is (in my case) the weld on the gear side cut into the timing belt. I have about 1/8" of timing belt that's been worn away. The cutting seems to have stopped at this point, but I'm checking it daily.

There is no clacking from the gear area at this time, so (knock VERY HEAVILY ON WOOD) I may be good for a while. I only needed this car (89 SHO beater) for a couple of weeks until my 95 SHO gets picked up in Michigan.

Look for a worn / material removed area on the left side, back end of the woodruff key on the crankshaft. By the time I had messed around with it for a couple of weeks, I had gone through 4 woodruff keys, 3 timing gears, 2 dampeners and 2 retaining discs.

The RIGHT fix for this condition is to replace the crankshaft.

Best fo luck, and I hope this is not your problem.

 

[X-15 SHO]

With all these replies it's like finding a pin in a hay stack. Good Luck.

 

[projectSHO89]

With all these replies it's like finding a pin in a hay stack.

Not at all.

Since the dust is RED, it has to be from a ferrous compound. It is INSIDE the timing cover. The timing belt is BLACK rubber, therefore, it is not a logical candidate.

Therefore, it has to be from an item INSIDE the timing cover from an item made from iron or steel. This makes the "haystack" very small. The only two likely possibilities would be the timing belt tensioner pulley bearing or the already pointed out culprit of the crank keyway/dampener/timing gear joint. This EXACT symptom has need observed and documented, so there is a high likelihood that Fred's observations also apply to this car.

We'll see once MOSHO92 takes the dampener/timing gear off.

Steve

<small>[ February 13, 2003, 01:36 PM: Message edited by: projectSHO89 ]</small>

 

[MOSHO92]

Guys, its been updated to critical condition for my ride. It's got the cancer.... I think we might be able to operate still. I'm having the donor (not really$$$$$) part mediflighted (UPS ground) to town ASAP. See I Have Crank Cancer for updates. Thanks for the help.