Timing issue?

[SHO me the $$$$$$]

... long time reader, havent posted it quite some time but all is not well now.

Moving along at 50 or so the motor changes pitch and when I get to stop light it is running very rough... I limp it into a parking spot where it backfires while shutting down.

I was just a mile or so away from a trusted mechanic so I tried limping it there to no avail as it gradually got so bad it had zero poer and would hardly run.

gets car towed and mechanic says it has skipped timing and that it has both a timing chain and a timing belt... plus they consider it a zero clearance motor and wont work on it !!!!!

could it ba as simple as a cam postion sensor or are they correct... its a daily driver and I need transportaion so I need to make a decision... I have a hard time dropping 2K into a car only worth 2K and I do not have the luxary of doing it myself at this time


Sorry so long winded... any thoughts or suggestions ???

thanks in adavance
Scott

 

[sho32getsit]

Did you pull the codes?

 

[SHO me the $$$$$$]

he tried and there was nothing... no history at all !

 

[93rev2sev]

Not a zero clearance engine.

Timing belts strip and jump teeth all the time on these puppies. Retime it with a new belt and yer off and running for another 60k miles...or until something else goes...which is actually quite likely...

 

[SHO me the $$$$$$]

so are we talking the front "left" serpantine belt or an internal belt ? sorry to sound so ignorant... I dont have the car here and I am in need of info to make a decision... also, any reason why he couldnt get the codes ?

Ive been doing some reading... is a timing belt a driveway type project, or are there special tools required ? Any one have a link to a good step by step procedure ?

who stocks these ?

thanks again

 

[St Louis SHO]

shoppheonix.com (sp?)

 

[93rev2sev]

www.shophoenixproject.com

I've done it in a driveway. I've done it in 0 degree weather.

The first time I did it was not an experience for a driveway.

Yes, both innuendoes are true. LOL

 

[SHO me the $$$$$$]

Sooo I have gotten into the front and the belt is tight, looks great for 80K, the tensioner seems to be functioning fine... but the belt is off 5 notches to the right on each cam gear (sorry... didnt check the crank) How does that happen ??? Also, I did not set the motor to TDC #1 prior to removing the old belt... am I hosed ?

 

[texantony]

Try looking at your cam sensor connector. Make sure the pins on the connector are all the way in and make sure you dont have double insulators (those orange looking things that go in the sensor)

 

[SHO me the $$$$$$]

I will be replacing all that... cam sensor, crank sensor, timing belt, plugs, water pump. Tried buying a tensioner but cant get it quick enough... I repacked the bearings and it didnt seem bad to begin with so I hope thats ok...

 

[93rev2sev]

Have you changed your fuel filter? I'd hate for you to do all that work when a 5 minute fuel fuel filter change might do the trick...

 

[SHO me the $$$$$$]

... my thoughts exactly !!!!!!!!!!!!! front and upper 60 done now !!!!!!!!!! not that it wasnt a great experience and a good time to replace the other parts, but would a plugged fuel filter make the car backfire ? and the car seemed like it was definetly out of time...

 

[93rev2sev]

Oh I see you did have a look at the fuel filter and that WAS the culprit. I just guessed a little late....sorry.

 

[SHO me the $$$$$$]

... wont ever be sure it "WAS" the culprit but I definetly didnt have any fuel whe I went to restart it :cry: