I've just been thinking about all the cambelts I have changed so far this year on Omega's and other Vauxhalls - and the amount of near misses or problems I have seen has been HUGE!
1) A rover. K series, 1.4 16v. Sat on the drive, ticking over, I could hear a slapping noise. I investigated, it was coming from timing cover. Engine turned straight off, timing cover off. Turn engine by hand... and there was a row of several teeth missing off the belt!!
Thankfully caught it in time, and was able to change the belt with no damage done. Could have been nasty though, a few more mins and engine would have gone bang!!
2) My friend Rich's Corsa (you may remember the thread where I did a head change for him)
He let his belt go past the recommended change interval. He ended up calling me because his car stopped and wouldn't restart. When turning the crank by hand, it would only go so far. Removal of the timing belt cover, demonstrated the cambelt in 2 halves.
Removal of the head demonstrated a number of bent valves and scratched pistons! The outcome - a recon head, and a lot of work by myself to fit it!
3) Brackley Cambelt Party - Tunnie's X reg 2.2 Omega. A few days before the party, we heard tunnie's engine running, and there was an awful rumble from behind the timing belt cover. Tunnie drove it home and left it parked up. The following Saturday, when I changed the belt kit and water pump, it was clear that there was NO tension on the old belt. The tensioner was backed right off, and the belt was slapping against the inner timing cover! Thankfully we changed this one just in time - running this engine anymore would have definately gone crunch with a few bent valves.
4) ClarCE's S Reg Omega V6 timing belt - when changing this one at brackley, it was clear to see that cam number 4 was too far advanced by one whole tooth, and cams 1 and 2 were nowhere near in time. The tension on the belt was also nowhere near perfect, so the life span of that belt would have been reduced. To rectify, we rotated the cams to the correct positions, fitted new timing belt kit, timed up with the correct tool and tensioned correctly.
5) My 2.0 GLS. When I first got it, first job was to change cambelt kit and water pump, because I had no history of it being done. Now, the cambelt kit that came off the car actually looked pretty good, BUT the waterpump, would hardly turn, and had a bearing in it shot, I'm sure. If the water pump would have seized up or fallen apart, the cambelt is driven off this, and could have easily caused the timing to slip and major engine damage to result. Always, always, change the water pump, it's critical on an engine that has a pump driven by the cambelt!
6) My Project Elite. When stripping this down, it was clear that ALL four cams were too far advanced by one tooth - resulting in the engine refusing to rev past 4.5k revs. Needless to say it was rebuilt with a new belt kit and waterpump with the timing set perfectly, and as a result, now runs perfectly!
7) Bobo's cambelt, on his new T reg Elite 3.0 with 75k on the clock. Changed this timing belt kit on Sunday - It's fairly clear that the idlers/tensioner hadn't been changed in the life of the car. The condition of them was truely awful... the top idler just turned and turned.. bearings had no lube whatsoever.. but the tensioner and lower idler were even worse. They were covered in a rust like substance, and looked like they'd been sat in a puddle for 6 months! to turn them, they felt VERY rough... I personally wouldn't have fancied their chances of lasting anymore than 500/750 miles on the car before 24 bent valves became imminent!!
If you don't know the history of when your Belt, tensioner, idlers and water pump was last done, do it immediately!!!
Ps... while I'm on the subject... I am now offering an unbeatable timing belt kit changing service - feel free to PM for further info
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Topic: Importance of cambelt changes! (Read 3551 times)