Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: bedders on 07 October 2008, 19:34:48

Title: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: bedders on 07 October 2008, 19:34:48
I'm a bit worried, having had a Gates cambelt kit, Vx tensioner pulley & water pump fitted, about a strange noise ever since.
The car used to tickover silently, now I have this flapping noise, as if the belt is loose. The performance seems a little flat, & it runs just slighly warmer, as if the timing is a bit out.
Are some kits noisier than others maybe? :-/  
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: markey mark on 07 October 2008, 19:36:53
sounds like its not been fitted and timed properly matey !  :(
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: Proz on 07 October 2008, 19:37:38
Mmmm i would be very anxious to have it checked in case something is not right ...... very expensive if something slips  .... was it Vx fitted ?  :-/
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: Kevin Wood on 07 October 2008, 19:38:46
I would whip the belt cover off and check it's correctly timed and tensioned before running it again. Can't afford to take any chances with a cam belt. It could be that the cover is not quite central so the belt or one of the pullies is chafing on it. On the other hand, it could be that one of the tensioners has worked loose. :o

If it's not the cam belt, try running briefly without the aux. belt in case it's one of the ancillaries.

Kevin
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: bedders on 07 October 2008, 19:41:12
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Mmmm i would be very anxious to have it checked in case something is not right ...... very expensive if something slips  .... was it Vx fitted ?  :-/

No, it was my local garage, who normally do a decent job. The obvious thing, is to take it back I suppose, but i'm not a natural complainer. We didn't have the confidence in it to be able to take it on holiday this year.  
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: ngrainqey on 07 October 2008, 19:43:46
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Mmmm i would be very anxious to have it checked in case something is not right ...... very expensive if something slips  .... was it Vx fitted ?  :-/

No, it was my local garage, who normally do a decent job. The obvious thing, is to take it back I suppose, but i'm not a natural complainer. We didn't have the confidence in it to be able to take it on holiday this year.  

go complaim matey, it's alot better than snapped belt/ bent valves and big money repairing it or scrapping it just for that.

see what they say anyway, could get them to try running it without aux belt on
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: Proz on 07 October 2008, 19:47:37
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Mmmm i would be very anxious to have it checked in case something is not right ...... very expensive if something slips  .... was it Vx fitted ?  :-/

No, it was my local garage, who normally do a decent job. The obvious thing, is to take it back I suppose, but i'm not a natural complainer. We didn't have the confidence in it to be able to take it on holiday this year.  

I had a local garage do mine on a different Omega a few years ago .... belt went after 14,000 miles which ended up scrapping the car ..... just before mine snapped i heard similar noises to what you discribe .....not worth the risk... :y
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: bedders on 07 October 2008, 19:47:48
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Mmmm i would be very anxious to have it checked in case something is not right ...... very expensive if something slips  .... was it Vx fitted ?  :-/

No, it was my local garage, who normally do a decent job. The obvious thing, is to take it back I suppose, but i'm not a natural complainer. We didn't have the confidence in it to be able to take it on holiday this year.  

go complaim matey, it's alot better than snapped belt/ bent valves and big money repairing it or scrapping it just for that.

see what they say anyway, could get them to try running it without aux belt on

It's far too good to scrap, I'll take it back to the garage & let them have a listen. Thanks for all the advice :y
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 07 October 2008, 20:04:24
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Mmmm i would be very anxious to have it checked in case something is not right ...... very expensive if something slips  .... was it Vx fitted ?  :-/

No, it was my local garage, who normally do a decent job. The obvious thing, is to take it back I suppose, but i'm not a natural complainer. We didn't have the confidence in it to be able to take it on holiday this year.  

go complaim matey, it's alot better than snapped belt/ bent valves and big money repairing it or scrapping it just for that.

see what they say anyway, could get them to try running it without aux belt on

It's far too good to scrap, I'll take it back to the garage & let them have a listen. Thanks for all the advice :y

I would park it up and not drive it anywhere until checked. If it breaks, it's game over...
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 07 October 2008, 20:17:02
I had a loose cambelt showing similiar symptoms..dont risk..
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: Alex Wood on 07 October 2008, 23:47:25
Did they change the aux belt as well or reuse the old one? If they reused it and didn't put it back so it was rotating the same way that could make it noisy. Could also be the aux belt tensioner getting tired, or the rubber seal around the timing cover coming loose and dragging on the belt.

Have you heard any pinking?

If you get the cambelt DVD you can follow the steps to exposing the timing belt then all you need is an E20 torx socket to turn the engine by hand and see if the timing marks line up and if the notch on the tensioner is where it should be. Doesn't involve disturbing the timing and you'll then know what's what.
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: feeutfo on 08 October 2008, 00:21:22
please dont drive until rectified. Maybe give the garage a ring and have a chat, and ask their advise on how to proceed, stressing that if they say bring it in and the belt breaks you will hold then liable. Or you dont want to be held responsible yourself, might be a soliter way of putting it. I would expect a mech to come out and examine the car before going any further. But whatever happens, dont risk driving the car in that state, 24 bent valves, 6 buggerd pistons/cylinder head and bent con rods all possible. Just have a look under the bonnet and check theres not a plastic bag flapping around under there or something silly, could be annoying for the mech...
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: bedders on 09 October 2008, 12:36:46
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Did they change the aux belt as well or reuse the old one? If they reused it and didn't put it back so it was rotating the same way that could make it noisy. Could also be the aux belt tensioner getting tired, or the rubber seal around the timing cover coming loose and dragging on the belt.

Have you heard any pinking?

If you get the cambelt DVD you can follow the steps to exposing the timing belt then all you need is an E20 torx socket to turn the engine by hand and see if the timing marks line up and if the notch on the tensioner is where it should be. Doesn't involve disturbing the timing and you'll then know what's what.

New aux belt fitted & the same time.
My Wife took it into the garage this am & was told, it's all ok, sounds like a normal Omega to me :-/
As I generally look after all the cars in the family, I don't have the time or inclination to touch the Omega, that's why it's farmed out.
Perhaps it's me being fussey, but i'm used to it being virtually silent at tickover. :(
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: sev on 09 October 2008, 13:12:09
Bedders, does the 'slapping' get louder and faster with the revs rising?

Also does it appear to come from any specific part of the engine, i.e. lhs or rhs cylinder?

The reason being that when I changed mine, I ended up turning the engine around eight times before getting it right as the timing marks on cylinder 1+2 wouldn't line up when I did the tensioner up! - they just moved anticlockwise by one tooth!

One of the valve lifters developed an air pocket.  Initially it sounded like i'd just pit a midget with a hammer  in the left hand cylinder head and he was desperate to get out, however it's got quieter as time has gone on.

I know what you mean about having a silent engine at tickover before though  :-/
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: bedders on 09 October 2008, 13:27:15
Hi,
It's cerainly related to engine speed. The noise appears to be central between the 2 banks, at the top. A muted slapping is the best way I can describe it!
How it can be described as a normal Omega, I just don't know, it's worrying the life out of me.
I may call into the garage on Sat. to argue the toss.
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 09 October 2008, 13:50:06
Quote
Hi,
It's cerainly related to engine speed. The noise appears to be central between the 2 banks, at the top. A muted slapping is the best way I can describe it!
How it can be described as a normal Omega, I just don't know, it's worrying the life out of me.
I may call into the garage on Sat. to argue the toss.


Can you slacken the cambelt cover bolts and move the cam belt cover as far up as posible before re-tightening?

Does the noise go if the aux belt is removed (temporarily)
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: Proz on 09 October 2008, 14:18:45
Certainly sounds like something is not right  :-/
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: serek on 09 October 2008, 15:25:55
they must fit not right cambelt , you sholud take car back to them, if you will keep driving belt can snap and after come more cost ,make sure they pun new belt on not old ones back
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 09 October 2008, 18:05:56
some time ago I and my mechanic mistakenly drop some water on the engine ,when the water leak and make the trigger wet, the noise was awful this was the way we observed it :P
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: jonathanh on 11 October 2008, 09:11:31
I had a similar problem with a VX belt kit.  was a rythmic squeak from the belt after it was fitted.  I put this down to the belt bedding in and it has now gone away.

However you have another symptom that worries me: you are down on power.  there is NO WAY you should be down on power and it really points to something note being set up correctly with the belt timing.

The best thing to do is to get hold of a timing kit and double check the work that has been done.  If we can work something out, I've got a timing kit around and could lend a hand.
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: VX1 on 11 October 2008, 10:19:38
Bedders, Have you got that belt checked yet? If not as all the others have said DON'T DRIVE THE CAR until its been rectified first. You have already paid for the belt to be fitted, you don't want anymore expendature until its sorted. How does your mechanic know what a normal Omega sounds like anyway? It sounds like all he is interested in is hoping the cambelt snaps and he gets the work to rebuild the heads.

Paul  :y
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: Albatross on 11 October 2008, 13:03:38
Why don't you enlist the most local of us to you to come along to the  garage in question with a "normal" sounding Omega so that you can show the garage what you're referring to?

That way it is unarguable.
Title: Re: New cambelt = strange noises
Post by: sev on 11 October 2008, 20:34:44
if he's that confident he won't mind supplying in writing a guarantee of his work which states clearly a warranty period for the 4 year duration of the belt, and a statement saying he'd be prepared to pay for all damages if it snaps then.