When timing belt tensioner goes bad...pics inside

[Mike93]

Last time I had the front end of the engine apart was about 10 months ago when I, ironically enough, changed the timing belt. Shortly thereafter the tensioner took a dive, and after about 2000 miles of it going bad here's what it looked like when I took it apart today...

Before going any further...can someone tell me if I'm correct in my assuming the the crank gear is off by one tooth??? When the cam gears are aligned at 12 o'clock, the crank looks like it's off...

Pics:

Slop in the belt...apppears stretched as the white lines of the belt will not line up with the dots on the cam gears. It's about 1/8th too long.

Crank gear...off a tooth???

 

[ManySHOs]

FWIW, those timing marks will only line up once every x amount of rotations. I wouldn't sweat the fact that they aren't lined up right now.

I would put a new(er) tensioner on and a new belt and not worry about it too much.

Ian

 

[Mike93]

FWIW, those timing marks will only line up once every x amount of rotations. I wouldn't sweat the fact that they aren't lined up right now.

I would put a new(er) tensioner on and a new belt and not worry about it too much.

Ian

Yeah, I've always wondered about the timing marks and how they line up over time. The main thing I was worried about was that the cam gears were lined up at 12 o'clock while the crank gear looked off one tooth.

Brand new tensioner is waiting to go on, new belt will be here tomorrow

 

[Phoenix]

3.2 and 3.0 belt marks are not in the same spot (crank) , but it really doesnt matter , as long as the crank and cams are lined up. (at least the brand I bought.)

 

[Mike93]

3.2 and 3.0 belt marks are not in the same spot (crank) , but it really doesnt matter , as long as the crank and cams are lined up. (at least the brand I bought.)

I understand that the belt marks don't hold too much water. What I was asking about was the location of the crank sprocket dot. The cam gears are lined up but the crank gear looks to be off a tooth.

 

[Phoenix]

I understand that the belt marks don't hold too much water. What I was asking about was the location of the crank sprocket dot. The cam gears are lined up but the crank gear looks to be off a tooth.

Oh ok , my bad I thought you were speaking of the marks on the belt itself.

 

[LJRuddy]

Yea i believe they line up every 3 rotations of the crank. FWIW, your cam gears are not both at the 12o'clock position either. Look at pics 4 and 5

 

[itwonder]

Don't even worry about that old belt. It's toast and nothing will line up using it. Get a new belt, align the three pulleys to their respective reference marks, and the lines on the new belt will line up correctly. Once a belt is installed, when you turn the crank the lines on the belt begin a march and they will not align with the dots on the pulleys for hundreds of revolutions. The crank pulley photo shows the dot about 1/2 tooth off the reference mark.

 

[SeanMc]

I had an idler bearing barf all it's bearing last year about this time. It took out the crank sensor, the timing belt, and bent the reluctor ring. Fun stuff!

 

[Mike93]

Yea i believe they line up every 3 rotations of the crank. FWIW, your cam gears are not both at the 12o'clock position either. Look at pics 4 and 5

Pic 4 was when I took the cover off...pic 5 is when I rotated the crank pully to get the cam gear dots to 12 o'clock. Each pic is of the same gear, just taken at different times

Don't even worry about that old belt. It's toast and nothing will line up using it. Get a new belt, align the three pulleys to their respective reference marks, and the lines on the new belt will line up correctly. Once a belt is installed, when you turn the crank the lines on the belt begin a march and they will not align with the dots on the pulleys for hundreds of revolutions. The crank pulley photo shows the dot about 1/2 tooth off the reference mark.

New belt will arrive tomorrow...it will be interesting to see how off the crank gear was.