Cam belt tension

[veilsideTT]

Not very oftern you get to see the tension on your cam belt when the engine is running due to the covers being on.

 

But not long ago when i checked for a front crank seal leak with the covers off and the engine running, i noticed that as i incresed the revs to around 3k the left hand side of the cam belt from top to bottom (not the tensioner side) seemed to look like it was moving from left to right quite a bit

(sort of wobbling if you get me?)

 

Its hard to tell how much it was moving as the enigine is turning over so fast.

 

Is this normal?

This belt has only done about 5k but it did get covered in oil from the front seal going?

 

Scott

[paul mac]

the none tension side will "flap" about a bit its quite surprising how slack the belt feels when under the correct tension, when i did my belt i checked the tensioner as per the manual and it was on the limit so i changed it to be on the safe side (about £45 i think), when i put the new one on the belt felt no tighter anyway, the thing that would worry me the most would be that you drowned the belt in oil, i dont know the compound make up of the belt but after working half my life with hydraulics i do know oil rots rubber- FACT, if i were you i'de change the belt and check the tensioner just to be on the safe side

[veilsideTT]

cheers for the reply.

 

Well, ive got to do a headgasket over the winter, as i take the car off the road for the bad weather.

 

Will change the cam belt whilst im at it me thinks!

 

Thanks again.

 

Scott

[paul mac]

yeah my heads coming off to, oh joy of joys, sick of the valve stem seals, am going to do it when i change the turbos, still it will be a good chance to check the pistons, shimming etc and give everything a clean up, have fun