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[vauxfan2k]

Just finished diagnosing the noise from the engine in the black Omega,

Took off the drive belt to make sure the rubbing noise wasnt coming from that, belt was rock hard and the grooves were breaking up, started car (without belt) and its alot quieter, thinking this was the cause I had a nosey behind the cover of the timing belt, and to my horror saw this:  


There is a groove cut out of the belt its entire length, and the teeth on the engine side of the belt are nearly non existent, This belt is only 2k miles (4 years) old. does anyone know what to look for that may have caused this? its £80 plus post for a timing belt kit on fleabay and £120 from our local supplier, so dont want to mince the new belt aswell.

cheers

[vauxnut1]

The only time I have seen this is when I did my dads toyota cambelt and it was where somebody had jammed cambelt cover on slightly out of place... therefore it was rubbing on cambelt.
hope this helps  :-/

[hotel21]

Goes without saying that it needs changed asap (but will say it anyway......   )

You sure the entire kit was changed last time or just the belt?  Certainly looks like something has rubbed the teeth to bits.  No doubt someone more experienced will advise further but could be a tensioner and/or pully fault.  

When you redo the entire kit, check all pulleys for damage in case some cack handed git has damaged a couple of teeth on, say, a camshaft pully in trying to lock it all in place with a bar or similar when getting done sometime previously....

[vauxfan2k]

Yeah will be changing asap, not even going to turn engine over until its fixed, an expensive repair bill if it snaps. Think I better trailer it down to the garage and get it done.

cheers for the advice

[Marks DTM Calib]

That type of wear is normlay caused by a foreign object getting under the cover.......before fitting a new one, check all the cam sprockets and crank sprocket for damage to.

[JamesV6CDX]

I agree with B, check that some monkey hasn't damaged one of the sprockets.. eg trying to lock them with inappropriate tools..

[mrjimbo]

Had a similar problem a few months ago. Car started to run very lumpy all of a sudden just as i pulled up at a set of traffic lights on my way home from Lydden Hill, like it was only on 4 or 5 cylinders but as soon as i pulled round the lights it ran smoother until i pulled up again, then it ran really rough again. Anyway, got it home and spent a few days looking at what i thought was the obvious, DIS pack, airflow meter, plugs,leads, looked for oil in the plug wells, vacum leaks and poor electrical connections, compression checked all to no avail. Then as a last resort decided to strip the heads off and have a look. When i took the cambelt cover off the problem became apparent straight away, the belt was chewed up just like yours and all 4 cams were out of alignment but all by different amounts ranging from 1 toothe to 4 teethe on the RH exhaust, i hadn't checked the belt before as i was always led to believe that on these engines if the belt jumped or snapped everything was FUBARed and as the compression was good "it couldn't be the cambelt" After further inspection it turns out that when it had its last cambelt changed by the Metropolitan Police vehicle workshop the bottom RH idler wheel had been put on the wrong way round, ie with the hex face towards the block instead of facing outwards so the whole idler was about 8mm too far from the block which had caused the belt to ride up over the ridge on the idler wheel removing teethe and narrowing the belt considerably. I was lucky that i found it in time, but what worries me is

1. How did they manage to tension and adjust the belt in the first place because without that idler being in the right position you run out of adjustment on the othe idlers and tensioner.

2. How many other people have had there engines turned in to a piece of scrap due to the same problem ?

3. How did the belt manage to last 12500miles without letting go ?

So beware, yes plod cars are regularly serviced even to the extent of being over serviced and yes they do get a very high percentage of genuine GM parts but at the end of the day all the genuine parts in the world will not keep your pride and joy intact if they are not fitted correctly.

[vauxfan2k]

Just stripped the engine ready for the new belt getting fitted tomorrow, and my original diagnosis was wrong, as you can see by the pic, the left tensioner is too high and is pressing the belt against the bolt and housing of the tensioners, wearing away the inside of the belt and the head of the bolt causing the groove the entire length.

Any Ideas if this is poorly fitted or has the tensioner collapsed?

want to avoid this happening again, Consequently the timing cover was too tight aswell and a groove has been cut right through it by the left hand cam pulley. eeeeeekkk

[Dazzler]

That tensioner looks to be in max tension position, which it should not be

[Kevin Wood]

That tensioner looks to be in max tension position, which it should not be

Agreed. Either one of the other tensioners has collapsed or come loose and put too much slack in the belt, the incorrect kit was fitted or the belt itself is too long. :-/

Kevin

[Tab]

  lucky you caught it before it snapped mate.

are them marks on the tensioner supposed to line up when a new kit's fitted?

[vauxfan2k]

Hi Guys

Thats the new belt and tensioners fitted, the mechanic looked in disgust at the whole setup, The timing was well out (altho car ran ok) the crank was a tooth out on the belt so the tensioner on the top left has been overtightened to compensate, nedless to say that edge of the tensioner housing was polished like a mirror by the belt. the tensioners are still tight and functional, only 2k miles old, should I keep em?

Car running spot on now, but must get something done bout them exhaust manifold gaskets, really bugging me.

cheers  for your views on the above.
 

[Kevin Wood]

So, a new belt has been fitted and timed, the tensioner ended up with more clearance and the tensioners are known to be only 2k old?

If that's the case and there was NO evidence of damage or roughness in the tensioner and idlers and the bearings felt smooth I would be inclined to leave them.

What muppets! Someone trying to change the belt without the proper locking tools, I guess.

Kevin

[vauxfan2k]

the tensioners that were fitted with the belt were brand new, as it was a whole gates kit I got. The tensioners that came off are the ones that are 2k old, and there is no signs of any damage to them at all, nice and smooth. Was thinking (if advisable) of replacing the belt on one of my other omega's and just buying the belt. saving a bit of cash. I only do about 5k a year as I have a works van so its not like its doing motorway mileage.

cheers