Cambelt tension

Since I got my '93 RZ Auto back from having the crank pulley replaced the car has been making a nasty rattle type noise at low revs, just above tickover speed - about 800rpm.

I found an earlier thread where somebody with a similar problem was advised to check the cambelt tensioner. So I took the plastic spark plug cover off and the plastic cover that is directly below the cam pulleys but I can't see a tensioner anywhere. Can anyone point me in the right direction please?

The cambelt is very slack. There's several inches of sideways movement on the intake cam side. I'm guessing this is what is making the noise. I can easily pull the belt away from the intake cam sprocket - that shouldn't be like that, right?

Thank you

It's right by the crank pulley I believe - left had side.

The belt should be taught(sp?) so yeah it sounds dodgy to me.

Check your tensioner (B) and also check that your idler wheel (A) has not snapped ..( quite comon). Most likely to be the tensioner is at fault here.

It's right by the crank pulley I believe - left had side.

 

The belt should be taught(sp?) so yeah it sounds dodgy to me.

Yeah - you can see from Mig's Pic it's a PITA to get at

On the left? So I have to remove the plastic cover that's behind the Aux belt tensioner?

And the front pulley again. Although if your only wanting to check the actual tensioner you can to this from under the car without taking any of it off.

OMG! I have to remove the crank pulley to get at the bolts that hold the plastic cover on! What a great design.

Sod this, I'm going down the pub.

Thanks for the help Alex and Mig, you're both stars.

....TO BE CONTINUED

I thought that stuff is supposed to be sorted/changed/tightened when you do a cambelt change, have you done one recently Jake?

Yes Rob, I paid a bit extra for the cambelt to be changed when my broken crank pulley was replaced.

Sod this, I'm going down the pub.

don't blame you, didn't look like a fun job!

I was all set to do it but a mate I haven't seen for a while came round. He's not into cars in the slightest . . .

= pub time!

sorted save it til the weekend!

Jake, sorry to hear of yet more troubles, it really isn't your year

Personally I'd take it back to whoever did the crank pully in the first place. Infact I'd get it transported there, rather than risk driving it.

There's no way that it should have come loose, and unless the idler wheel has broken, IMHO its probably the fault of whoever did the job in the first place, and really up to them to fix it.

How many miles have you done since it was "fixed" ?

These things happen, we all fcuk up occasionally, but there's no way you should have to repair it, when you've paid someone else to do the job (properly )

There's no way that it should have come loose, and unless the idler wheel has broken, IMHO its probably the fault of whoever did the job in the first place, and really up to them to fix it.

 

How many miles have you done since it was "fixed" ?

I think I'd be best to check it out myself. If I send the car back there it'll be "Yeah we looked at it, something broke, it'll cost you another £(BigNumber) to get it fixed"

Approx 150 miles. I haven't even needed to buy any petrol for it since the crank pulley was changed.

 

I think I'd be best to check it out myself. If I send the car back there it'll be "Yeah we looked at it, something broke, it'll cost you another £(BigNumber) to get it fixed"

The quicker we spring Dude, the better

At least when John said he'd fixed it, it was fixed

Check your tensioner (B) and also check that your idler wheel (A) has not snapped ..( quite comon). Most likely to be the tensioner is at fault here.

This is what I found when I got the cambelt cover off :

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/5079/p10100014qb.th.jpg and here's what it looked like when the Idler Wheel fell out http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/4323/p10100022xk.th.jpg

Suppose I better get a new one ordered up. I might as well change the water pump while I've got it all stripped down.

Thanks for all the help guys.

Jeeez, how many miles has that thing done, looks like a million? Gotta take the prize for the dirtiest, rustiest MKIV engine front i have seen. No offence, but I ain't never seen one that mucky. The crank pulleys been fretting on the crank nose, too, that's why the rusty deposits are there.

Gotta take the prize for the dirtiest, rustiest MKIV engine front i have seen

yeah i'me with chris on this a clean engine is a happy engine, shame on you, you need them 2 women off telly aggy and saggy (maybe not saggy) to clean it up for you

Jeeez, how many miles has that thing done, looks like a million? Gotta take the prize for the dirtiest, rustiest MKIV engine front i have seen. No offence, but I ain't never seen one that mucky. The crank pulleys been fretting on the crank nose, too, that's why the rusty deposits are there.

Who cares if it's rusty steel and oxidised alloy on the outside of the engine?

A bit of rust and grimy oil adds character you know!

What does the word 'fretting' mean? The pulley was was on there damn tight - took me two evenings to get it off.

yeah i'me with chris on this a clean engine is a happy engine, shame on you

Glad to be of info Make sure when you put it all back to clean up that crank with a bit of wire wool and watch the woodruf kew stays in place, also take the tensioner off and you will notice a little hole in the top edge of the main body and one that goes through the shaft. Very very slowly and carefully squeze it closed in a vice and put a pin right through the holes ..then put the tensioner in and pull the pin ( grenade stylie).

Cheers Mig, you're a star.

Well she's all back together and running nicely. I couldn't wait to get new bits ordered up so I nicked the parts off my broken VVTi engine.

Thanks for all the help everyone.