Timing belt walk HELP!

[91TSi_]

I had a new timing belt etc put on the car now even just cranking the engine it seems to want to walk off the stuff it will go on and sit perfectly center then as soon as i turn the car over like i said even crank it the belt starts to walk away from the valve cover side like its gonna come off any ideas please help

[torlok2002]

Did you put this on or did someone else? Are you pushing it back on the cam gears or ?

I know on the 420A the crankshaft gear holds the belt towards the engine. As long as the belt has tension it should not jump over the outer lip of the gear.

[torlok2002]

Also, do you still have the timing belt cover on? Dis you just stop cranking it when it did this? If not does it continue to 'walk' away from the engine, or does it get to a specific spot and stay there?

[91TSi_]

Originally Posted by torlok2002

Also, do you still have the timing belt cover on? Dis you just stop cranking it when it did this? If not does it continue to 'walk' away from the engine, or does it get to a specific spot and stay there?

My friend did it for me he has done a few I bought the car with the top of the engine off head etc. I bought a used but good head that came from a 89 eclipse turbo everything is the same (as far as I know) I am a new DS?M owner this is my first. put everything back together and went for the first start turns out bad fuel pump so no start. but as we cranked it over the belt started to walk (away from engine) and it did seem to stop but there is about an ____ part of the belt that is off the cam gears i guess you would call them. i am afraid it will jump and trash everything if i start it.

[91TSi_]

I will put a pic on of where it sits

[91TSi_]

Here is a pic as you can see on the cam gears there is as tiny bit off center and on the bottom its like the opposite

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/7044/1014091339.jpg


http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/4033/1014091340.jpg

[torlok2002]

I can't see too well due to small pic size, but in the second it looks like it might be that the crankshaft gear did not get pressed on completely(which might be why the belt can 'walk' back and forth). Do you know if he pulled it when doing the timing? I don't know about the turbo engines, but on the 420A's you do not need to pull that to get the belt off. If you replaced the oil pump with the timing belt I believe the gear would have to be pulled.

Can anyone else here verify the head compatibility for the two vehicles?

[david-b]

The crank sprocket has edges on it which will position the belt in the proper position. Looking at that first pic, my 420a TB sits about the same position. It's closer to the edge, with more space on the back. Here's a pic


(Excuse the mess... very dirty shot)

If the sprocket is not in all the way, then of course the belt will position properly to adjust. However, it's near mpossible for the sprocket to NOT be in the right position. That would be bad. Is the tension good on the belt?

[91TSi_]

Originally Posted by david-b

The crank sprocket has edges on it which will position the belt in the proper position. Looking at that first pic, my 420a TB sits about the same position. It's closer to the edge, with more space on the back. Here's a pic


(Excuse the mess... very dirty shot)

If the sprocket is not in all the way, then of course the belt will position properly to adjust. However, it's near mpossible for the sprocket to NOT be in the right position. That would be bad. Is the tension good on the belt?

To me it feels kinda sloppy but he said it was fine i can turn it olmost all the way over in between the cam gears.

[david-b]

Originally Posted by 91TSi_

To me it feels kinda sloppy but he said it was fine i can turn it olmost all the way over in between the cam gears.

You mean between the 2 cams you can twist the belt almost 180 degrees over? Don't crank that car! That needs to be redone badly. It should be scretched across the top very tightly. Somethings not rigth there.

[91TSi_]

Originally Posted by david-b

You mean between the 2 cams you can twist the belt almost 180 degrees over? Don't crank that car! That needs to be redone badly. It should be scretched across the top very tightly. Somethings not rigth there.

I was wrong on that it is pretty tight I may be worried for nothing the belt is off center more that the pic of yours it is riding the outside edge and on the bottom pully it looks to be on the opposite edge inside. this is a pic of the twist i can to on top. let me know. Thanks..

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/9112/1014091551.jpg

[david-b]

Ok that's much better.

As for the position of the belt, not too sure. I can see in your pic that it's right on the edge. If everything is on there good, I'm not sure what the deal is.

[Blackcrow64]

The two heads can be swapped as that's not the problem. It makes me wonder if one of the timing belt balancers have a worn out bearing and are sitting slightly crooked in there causing the belt to slowly work its way off to one side. See what I mean?

It would look like this from the front of the motor but not such an extreme angle...

|
|
|
\
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Each | being a pully of some type and the crooked one being one of the balancers... That is about the only explanation I can come up with for it... I'd rather change the balancers and redo the timing than trash the head by starting it.

[91TSi_]

Originally Posted by Blackcrow64

The two heads can be swapped as that's not the problem. It makes me wonder if one of the timing belt balancers have a worn out bearing and are sitting slightly crooked in there causing the belt to slowly work its way off to one side. See what I mean?

It would look like this from the front of the motor but not such an extreme angle...

|
|
|
\
|

Each | being a pully of some type and the crooked one being one of the balancers... That is about the only explanation I can come up with for it... I'd rather change the balancers and redo the timing than trash the head by starting it.

I agree and that is what I am going to do. if that dont work i dont know what to do next. i guess i will post what happens when i get finished. Thanks to the people who helped me here I appreciate it a lot.