So I had a knock in my engine. Well, problems solved!!!

 

Notice I said problems, as in plural? Well sit right down and I'll tell you a tale which demonstrates the advantages of having no timing belt covers.

 

So I had this nasty knocking sound coming from the engine, but the discription didn't quite fit with a piston rod knock. Well, it turned out not to be one problem but was a cacophony of different sounds blending to sound like a knock. The main culprits? A bad timing belt tensioner bearing, and the fan clutch bearing was in the proccess of disintegrating. I now believe both had been going south for quite some time and I didn't know it.

 

On my way home from Atwater on Monday, I suddenly heard a bad squeal coming from the engine. I was still 40 miles from home and would have been very bummed to have a breakdown that far from home. It just so happens that I was thinking about going to the J-Yard in Madera anyway, since I would be passing it on my way home, and luckely I was only a few miles from the yard when the problem got bad. I pulled into the parking lot of the yard, popped the hood, and fired up the engine. Of coarse the squeak dissapeared, but I noticed the driver side timing belt had some disformities. I looked at the timing belt tensioner and saw that it was discolored and had purple score marks consistent with metal getting really hot. I was lucky enough to find a GL with a partialy dissasembled front end, which made getting the tensoiner a breeze. While I was removing the fan, I discovered that the bearing in the fan clitch was also fubar'ed. I had one laying around at the house and figure I install that one when I got home. After I did, the "knock" I had worried about has all but dissapeared.

 

To conclude my adventure, I want to thank myself for leaving the belt covers off the last time I repaired the engine. Because I did, this repair was much easier than it should have been.

I totally stripped my covers as well when I had things apart.

 

The way I look at it, even if things go HORRIBLY wrong, I'll probably be only changing timing belts twice as often as with the covers. And, realistically, as long as I don't leave rags in the engine bay, I shouldn't really have problems.

 

However, changing the belts with the covers on is a ~2hr operation.

 

Changing the belts without the covers is a ~15min operation.

 

And, I can easily inspect the belts for problems without the covers.

 

So, I'm pretty sure that I'll be saving time over the life of the car without them.

 

-=Russ=-

So I had a knock in my engine ... The main culprits? A bad timing belt tensioner bearing, and the fan clutch bearing was in the proccess of disintegrating...

 

I had the same problems too... I Believe those bearings are Parts that Shall be Replaced every Timin` belts Change.

I had the same problems too... I Believe those bearings are Parts that Shall be Replaced every Timin` belts Change.

 

 

OR pop out the seals on the old bearings and repack them. Bearings will last almost forever IF they don't run dry.

Except when the Ball Bearin´ is Too Loose, or Damaged.

(Here, extremly dusty Roads make some Ball Bearings to last short times...)

YAYAY... Glad to here the roo is in good health now!!!

OR pop out the seals on the old bearings and repack them. Bearings will last almost forever IF they don't run dry.

 

Correction - Chinese bearings need to be replaced with EVERY belt change! You get what you pay for. Quality costs more money.

ha im going through the same thing, coolant spewed everywhere and my little passenger side tensioner started knocking, i know thats what it is because when i had my belts off it was rust and had ALOT of drag but i was on a budget, im paying for it now and i have to replace it tomarrow