Forum:
Hi all ,i am in need of some advice ,over the last couple off weeks ,when the engine gets warm ,there is a rattly sound been coming from the engine when you back off the gas,anyways i broke down and had to get a recovery assistance ,the guy told me the it was the timing belt,but im sure the rattling was from the timing belt adjuster working loose.Now could anybody please tell me if the sporty engines bend valves when the belt snaps and what damage i might expect to find.my model is a1991 elxi ,any help would be much appreciated ,many thanks.
vince
engine
Sorry but, Oh yes if the belt breaks like any OHC vehicle it will drop its valves and you won't know how much damage has been done to the valves, pistons, head etc till you strip it down.
The rattling noise may not be related as Sporty CATs suffer from rattles on deceleration and acceleration upto 2500 revs +/. You say in your note that the tensioners has worked loose so I assume you have the front cover off and the belt has gone through probably chewing itself up. I haven't heard of the tensioners going loose before but no doubt other forum readers will correct me. It's a bit worrying though and worth checking. There is a spring that keeps it tort and a fair old bolt that locks it in position.
Good luck
OLDMINIMAN
M J Young
re-engine advice
hi many thanks for your reply ,that was not what i wanted to hear ,however i think i already new the answer.,i was pulling upto a roundabout when the engine cut out ,so i was only doing about ten mph when it happened.the rattling noise i reffered to only seem to appear once the engine was warm and not on start up, i was told it sounded like the big end bearings were on the way out ,but i am not totaly convinced of that.When the guy came to tow the sporty away he looked inside the rocker cover to c if the cam was turning ,but it was not ,and to be honest thats when i came up with the rattling noise could have been the belt tensioner slackening off. I changed the timing belt at the same time i did the head gascket ,so i will have to start and strip the head off and take it from there ,i hope there is not any damage ,due to the fact i was just about stopped at the time it happened ,any advise much appreciated,many thanks.
vince
Engine
Fingers crossed that the swift stop prevented too much damage. I have just changed my cam belts and you haveset me worrying about the tensioner bolt. Hopefully you may just have bent the valve stems on one or two and the cost won't be that expensive. There are a few engines on Ebay going cheap or were when I last looked so if push came to shove then that would, I hope, be an alternative.
GOOD LUCK
OLDMINIMAN
Mike
M J Young