clicking tapping sound, engine stumbles then poof!

[AA_Ezra]

So I turn on the car this morning, Stereo on, I head a weird noise so i turn the radio off pop the hood with the engine still running to check it out. Im thinking that its a belt.... Maybe a torn timing belt so I rush to turn off the car but, The car stumbles to a dead stop.

So i just poped off the timing belt cover expecting the worst and... The beslt are fine not torn, just dirty. So now im thinking watter pump or the Oil pump, or worse a spun bearing? broken rod. If its any help the sound it was making before it stalled sounded like a belt slaping on plastic and not that of metal hitting metal. Anybody have any input?


Im going to degrease and wipe the oil pan as well as I can and hopefully i wont find any metal shaving or worse a broken part.

Regards
J

[Cocacolakidd]

Have you actually felt the timing belts for correct tension? It could be that they are loose from stretch or a tensioner has loosened to allow the belt to skip a tooth or so - hope not.

More inspection and more information necessary here...

[zedsn]

Hi, I have heard that timing belts will get loose and slap the water pump area or belt cover. Hopefully this is your case and nothing worse.

[AA_Ezra]

Yeah I hope it's not a worst case scenario. I'm with you guys thinking it's a simple prob. I'm guns check the water pump see if it's siezed. I touched the belts but didn't check the tension as I too realized it may have sliped a tooth wich wouldent be great but wouldent be too bad because atleast I would know what the fault was and slap on a used head in the garage that's been waiting for a few years. Thanks for the input fellas I'll post my results a.s.a.p

[TSNAPCRACKLEPOP]

missing any cats???

[Cocacolakidd]

Rolf

[AA_Ezra]

Nah all acounted for

[TSNAPCRACKLEPOP]

screws/bolts missing from the covers can cause a rattle slap noise when vibrating. how about the power steering pump belt and bracket?

[TSNAPCRACKLEPOP]

83, no power steering?

[AA_Ezra]

Corect no power steering on an 83. it rained all day yesterday and froze over. Weather ok today so I should be able to drain the oil to drop the la if I remember how ( easy I hope)

[AA_Ezra]

Well used degreaser again and let it dry. Took a look at what had to come off to remove the oil pan(lots) took a closer look at the timing belts.checked the tensionand all. And BOOM I see about 6 inches of teeth missing on the timing belt. Now the dun begins

[Cocacolakidd]

Ah Hah - Maybe just a simple belt change -

Have pfunn - and merry Christmas

[Mark944na86]

Do a compression test -- will tell you fairly quickly if you've bent any valves (more than likely at least one.)

If the timing hadn't been affected by losing the teeth, then the engine would have kept running. It didn't, so this indicated the timing slipped. And this indicates bent valves.

But a compression test will tell you what's what.

[mikepellegrini]

If it "stumbled to a stop" before you were able to turn it off, then most likely you are too late.

If you do a compression test, make sure everything is set at TDC, of course, before you do the test - although depending on where the engine stopped, it might be tough to set it on TDC without causing more damage.

I'd almost be inclined to tear it apart without turning it over at all, just to minimize the damage.

But I s'pose it probably doesn't matter.

[AA_Ezra]

Sorry I write from my iPod so sometimes I mispell. Weather permiting I'm going to just pull off the head. I have had lifted noise for quite some time now and cylinder #2 took a few turns more to get good compresion last time I did a compresssion test.im just going to put the backup head with cam assembly on Go from there.

[Mark944na86]

Just out of interest, what was the belt service history on this car? Do you know time and miles on these belts?

I'm sure having belts covered in motor oil can't have extended their lives at all. You may want to get your oil leaks fixed while you're in there.

[Mark944na86]

Originally Posted by Mark944na86

Just out of interest, what was the belt service history on this car? Do you know time and miles on these belts?

Well? If you know, it's useful information, and if you simply don't know, that's useful information too.

[AA_Ezra]

I did the time and balance belts myself when I first got the car a few years ago. I wrote on the stickers that came with the contitech the mileage it needed to be changed but lost the papers and the odo broke and I later replaced with good one. I really have to get a maintenance book big enuff so I don't lose it. I never used a special tool. The truth I don't remember how I did it to be honest

[Mark944na86]

Belts will last three years and 30K miles no prblem, if properly tensioned. If not, all bets are off. Also, the timing belt needs to be _retensioned_ after about 1500 miles or so to compensate for inital stretching of a new belt.

The reason I was curious about your service history circumstances is that _every_ belt failure I've personally heard of in these and other forums invoved a) unknown service history (new owner most commonly), or b) a failure to tension/retension properly, or c) a failure of a related component rather than the belts themselves (e.g. water pump, rollers.)

When you put the new head on, I would strongly recommend getting an inexpensive krikit 1 belt tension tool at the very least (there are more expensive tools out there, but the krikit works fine in my experience), and check your rollers for wear or binding. Also, doing the front seals (crankshaft and balance shafts) would be an excellent idea -- inexpensive and easy to do once you are in there.

[AA_Ezra]

Well. here is what i found when i removed the head,and only broke off 2 bolts in the head. Im assuming the yellow tinge and lots of carbon deposit must be from a leaking head gasket? but it was rusting that's for sure. A few carbon deposits fell and are on the sides of the cylinder walls. any sugestions?