Rusty Spokes

When hot the belt will appear to be tight..if it is too tight it will sing..hard to miss it will be warning you.

Set the timing belt up cold by the book..just a margin tighter (one hand--75*) ..put it together and listen..if you hear the belt slapping the plastic covers..too loose..if it "whines" ..too tight.

Rusty Spokes

And a side note..if the timing belt had a spring type or hydraulic oil belt tensioner..it would feel tight when hot..normal.

bangernomics

Hi Rusty,


Well, finally got it all apart again today and redid the tension on the belt. I can just twist 90* with it cold two hands and about 75* with one hand. Bit subjective as it depends on strength but seems not to have an unacceptable movement of the camshafts when pulling on the belt cold. No longer enough movement to touch the covers around them cold. When hot, it now has a medium sounding note when I strum it like a guitar. I notice that the note that comes off the serpentine belt is a higher pitch one so it's probably ok. Hot twist is about 40* although it's under the cover and not on the longest length.


I drained the radiator again and got the new radiator fan switch installed. I also drained the block again which initially amazingly didn't want to drain. Again. Though with the old poking of wire up in the hole it suddenly came rushing out. This time a load of what looks like beach sand ended up in the bucket! Not sure how on earth that got in there or if it was somehow washed off the bottom of the car but I ran clean water through it with a hose. Could it be a leftover from casting of the block stuck in a quiet area?? Seems unlikely.


Anyway, all put back together in a couple of hours and the fans now perform perfectly. They come on for a good 30s at 89* instead of the original 7s at 94* and don't allow the temp to exceed 90*. So my temp range is now 82* at speed to 90* in traffic. Perfect.


Thanks again for all the advice and tips. Good call on the radiator temperature sensor being at fault.

Rusty Spokes

Glad to help. The beach sand was junk that was still up in there and settled..that coolant block trap will hold a load..good work flushing it again.

That medium sound on the belt is normal. It has to make some sound going around the cams.