Problem with my timing belt and cams seizing up. Help?

[Sean_Ironstag]

So, basically, I had been hearing a squealing noise for the past month or so, figured it was my alternator belt squealing, but now i do believe it was my timing belt. Then one day one of my cams (i believe the one in the picture below) just froze up, my belt was still turning but because the cam froze up all it was doing was eating the teeth off my belt. So I had my car towed home. Went and checked it a couple days later, and the cam was not seized up anymore, and was turning. But of course my belt has no teeth on it now, and i have no clue why things seized up in the first place.
I honestly have no clue where to begin to start troubleshooting/fixing it, any help and advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks!

[txhokie4life]

This is one of your balance shafts

Nothing catastrophic has happened yet

But if this belt goes it can take out your real timing belt
Then it will be ugly.

I only have track cars for my 944 cars and don't run with the balance belts

If you have never done your timing belt

I would find an Indy and have them remove the belt and check things out.

In my opinion you don't need to fix the balance shaft.
Others may differ for a street car.

Mike

[Sean_Ironstag]

So, that's a balance shaft and not my camshaft sprocket?
Any idea why it would seize up and eat all the teeth off my timing belt, then unseize for no given reason?
I don't have the financial resources to have someone else work on the car, I need to do it myself.

[txhokie4life]

Well if you were in Austin -- I'd come help you out.

Your cam tower is on the left side of the engine as you are facing it
it ends in the rotor and has the spark plug wires coming out of it.
One balance shaft is below that -- the other is on the upper right side
below your throttle body and intake.

it's possible that your balance shaft bearings have worn out and they seized
then eventually spun.

One thing you could try is to take a 24mm socket and put it on the crank pulley.

Then since you can see the balance shaft belt, cut the belt with a box knife.
then turn the crankshaft and with a set of pliers -- walk the belt off the sprocket
as you rotate the crank. Continue until you have removed the entire belt,
this should take about two full revolutions of the crank.

I would not do this by starting the car as it may spin too quickly, flail around
and take your real timing belt with it.

Obviously this is a hack -- but it should work and then you will be running
without the balance shafts. The engine itself might feel a little rougher
but shouldn't hurt anything -- and would be something that you could fix
when you can fit it in your budget.

I would also try to take the bottom of the cover off and get any teeth that collected
out of there removed -- you don't want them getting caught in your crank pulley
and messing up your timing belt.

Mike
mike@lonestarrpm.com

[bordin34]

Did you lose oil pressure?

[ernie9944]

Not 100% sure but I believe there is no balance shafts belts on a 2.0 924????And your garage is showing a 77 Martini Rossi.Is the pic of your 924

[Sean_Ironstag]

Man, I wish I lived in Austin right about now, heh.
By the way, yes, It is a 77 924 Martini edition.
Not quite sure if I lost oil pressure or not. :\
So, I'm confused, are there balance shafts on a 77 924, or not?
This pulley (whatever it is), is at the top of my engine, right below my air intake and whatnot. This is the one that I am pretty sure seized up on me. Whatever it is. Balance shaft?
So, the belt in my picture isn't my timing belt? Its some balance shaft belt? I thought that was my timing belt? Am I mistaken? Also, what exactly is the balance shaft belts purpose? The car can run without it, without any real ill effects?
(thanks for all the help, and advice)

[txhokie4life]

Oh -- I'm sorry -- I thought this was a 944.

Disregard my suggestions -- unless someone can confirm --
I don't know the Audi based 924 engines. I believe they do have them
as well -- but I don't know the details.

The balance shafts in a 944 spin to counter the rotational mass
of the 4 cylinder. It helps smooth out the engine vibrations.


Mike

[Sean_Ironstag]

Okay, it's not my timing belt, I looked into it, consulted my haynes and workshop manuals, it's definitely not the timing belt. But I cant figure out what it is. :\

[Sean_Ironstag]

If you look in my picture, it is just a belt around one single wheel at the top, and goes down to one single wheel at the bottom, then comes straight back up. Kind of like and elongated vertical oval.

[Sean_Ironstag]

The belt is smooth on one side, toothed on the other.

[ernie9944]

There is no balance shafts belts on a 2.0 ltr 924.What your seeing is your timing belts,balance shafts belts were install only on the 924S/944s. the 2.5 being quiet large for an inlin four cyl & in order to dampens vibration Porsche had no choice but to install them.If the pully on your cam did freeze change it rigth away & install a new timing belt.The plus of the 924 motor is if the timing belt goes on it you won't end up with bend valves versus the 944s 2.5 which we commonly call a close contact motor.

[Grandad#3]

I don't have a picture of the 924 belts, but hope the 944's will help.

Timing Belt and Balance Shaft Belt Tensioning

Cheers,
Larry

[ernie9944]

Pic of a 924 timing belt :

[jem60]

Picture is of the air pump on a 924. pump is probably seizing. Remove belt it was used for emmissions only.

[ernie9944]

Originally Posted by jem60

Picture is of the air pump on a 924. pump is probably seizing. Remove belt it was used for emmissions only.

Lol see nothing to it,you simply got to know a little about the car your driving.

[Sean_Ironstag]

Okay, I do not believe it is the timing belt, and since there is no balance belt on this version of the 924 that rules that out as well. Here, I will upload some better pictures so yall can see better what part I am talking about.



Here is a picture of the entire engine. you can see that the timing belt is in its casing on the left, to the right of this is the mystery belt and mystery part that seized up on me, then unseized:




In this picture you can see a close up of the part, it has some hose connected to it. You can also see where the belt leads down to:




In this next picture you can see where the belt leads down to:




Here you can see where the belt leads to, loops around, then comes back up. You can also see whatever it loops around at the bottom is also part of where the alternator belt loops around, and also looks like there is a missing belt that loops around in the middle between the two?:




In this pic you can see the back side of the mystery part that seized up on me:




Lastly, a more close up pic of the back side. It almost looks as if somethings connected to it from the rear or something?:




By the way, I was mistaken at first, the belt is notched on both sides.

[Sean_Ironstag]

Is it the air pump?

[jem60]

Part you are showing is the air pump...

[jem60]

The notches you note on the belt are what some belt manufacturers do to relieve stress on the back of the belt. Its a standard "v"belt for the pump