The Top DSM Community on the Web

For 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser, and Galant VR-4 Owners. Log in to remove most ads.

Please Support Morrison Fabrications
Please Support Fuel Injector Clinic

1G Timing belt whine/belt walking

This site may earn a commission from merchant
affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

tudds2k

15+ Year Contributor
138
9
Aug 28, 2008
Long Island, New_York
Hey everyone,
I have been changing my timing belt on my 1990 1g and life got in the way half way through. It’s been making a whining noise when I rev it. I have re tension the belt so many times.
After searching and hearing 500 different things, I have no idea.
Some of the pulleys are rusty. I figured I would ask here before buying new ones again.
The belt wobbled a little but never goes off the cam gears edge. It only whines when revving it.
I have a video I will post after this.
Any ideas ? Could the balance shaft be too tight ? Could the idler pulley go bad for being outside with no timing cover for a year ?

Cliff notes:
Oem timing components changed and gates blue belt.
Makes whining noise when rev and belt walks a little.
Don’t remember what it sounded like before

Thank you for any input you have.
 

Attachments

  • 0DFCE952-D9DB-456D-BA8E-B513C4583FBD.jpeg
    0DFCE952-D9DB-456D-BA8E-B513C4583FBD.jpeg
    337.3 KB · Views: 130
Last edited:
You must be logged in to view this image or video.

That chirping noise just started. I’m going to see if it goes away taking the belt off the alternator.
EDIT: I took the belt off and it’s still chirping
 
Last edited:
I would be checking the tensioner arm and the post that it goes on for play. A worn tensioner arm could cause it. I would also check all the other pulleys for play as well. Something looks off with the idler pulley. Not to mention it is in rough shape. I would not use it.
 
I've had a new gates rpm belt walk. So then went with evo9 belt and it was good. Do you have another belt to try? To help in eliminating possible causes.
I guess I can install the old one to check. I’m more worried about the noise than anything. I’m going to check my balance shaft belt because I remember making it very tight
 
I guess I can install the old one to check. I’m more worried about the noise than anything. I’m going to check my balance shaft belt because I remember making it very tight

The hell with the whinining noise. That belt is going to fall off if you leave it like that. I'm not saying don't check the balance shaft belt tension, but you need to find why that belt is wobbling before it has you wobbling into the machine shop carrying your trashed head.
 
Don't just change the belt when you do a timing job, buy a kit and do the WHOLE job, sure its like $500 for the parts(OEM with everything but the belt IMHO, I like the EVO and Gates Blue), but its one of the most important aspects of our cars, do it right the 1st time and be done..
 
Show me a picture of your timing setup down low with the harmonic balancer off.

For the belt to make that much noise your hydraulic tensioner has failed. You should be able to slide in the grenade pin immediately after tuning off the motor. If you can't, your tensioner pulley is over rotated and your timing arm is bottoming out on the tensioner body.
 
Last edited:
The hell with the whinining noise. That belt is going to fall off if you leave it like that. I'm not saying don't check the balance shaft belt tension, but you need to find why that belt is wobbling before it has you wobbling into the machine shop carrying your trashed head.
It seems like I’m chasing a bunch of issues. Once the noise goes away, I’ll find out why it’s walking. I’m not going to put it together with it still moving around like that

Don't just change the belt when you do a timing job, buy a kit and do the WHOLE job, sure its like $500 for the parts(OEM with everything but the belt IMHO, I like the EVO and Gates Blue), but its one of the most important aspects of our cars, do it right the 1st time and be done..
I changed everything
Show me a picture of your timing setup down low with the harmonic balancer off.

For the belt to make that much noise your hydraulic tensioner has failed. You should be able to slide in the grenade pin immediately after tuning off the motor. If you can't, your tensioner pulley is over rotated and your timing arm is bottoming out on the tensioner body.
The pin still slides in and out freely. I checked the space from the tension arm to the tensioner body with a few drill bits as feeler gauges 3.8-4.4mm
 
The chirping is most likely your alt or ps pulley system. Take the pulleys off and wire wheel them clean they have hardened rubber on them that makes even new belts slip.

The wining is normal for the Kevlar gates belts. The oe gates belt is quieter and oem Mitsubishi is the quietest. I know someone's gonna be like " didn't you know gates makes the oem Mitsubishi belt"? But just stating observations from using different ones over the years.

Use the oem grenade pin and tension until the pin is "slippy" loose meaning has a tiny bit of resistance when you go to pull it out. Tensioned so the resistance is from the arm pushing down on the tensioner not the tensioner pushing up on the arm.

It will change as you rotate the motor so rotate a few times and recheck.
 
Walking off is most likely a worn timing arm. The balance shaft belt wouldn't have anything to do with it walking off. I'd check for slop in the arm take all the pulleys off and inspect also with the amount of surface rust on the outer edge of that idler I'd make sure the bearings inside are good.
The bushing in the arm likes to wear over time causing the arm to cant off to the side making it walk off the gear.
 
Ok I’ll find a new arm. I know they are discontinued :(
 
If I’m going to change the tension arm and idler pulley. I might as well get everything else new I’m thinking. I would rather change everything in one shot in one day then have an idler that is new but a tensioner that has been in the engine bay for a year.
I think I’m going to buy the oem Kevlar belt this time.
 

Attachments

  • 318F4DFB-2E5C-4B39-9D17-F8984580269C.png
    318F4DFB-2E5C-4B39-9D17-F8984580269C.png
    111.7 KB · Views: 61
The machined post that the tensioner arm rides on also can wear and caused the issue you're havin, as jakk220 has said in above post. So just keep that in mind if you replace the tensioner arm and you're still having the issue. Below is a good thread link on the issue.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/timing-belt-off-to-one-side.514152/


Just stopping in to state the same. Today I took my car out for its first 20 miles to do some logging. Went well but I thought I'd check my belt just to be safe and the damn thing had the inner edge chewed up. Everything is new I spent the next couple hours taking everything out and noticed the are had some slop in and out. I grabbed another bracket and put my arm on it no slop. That stupid post it rides on pushed out some how about 1/8 of an inch. Fixed that issue and now the belt is where its supposed to be and not throwing rubber.
 
I have an extra mount and arm. I'll check them out.
 
I bought every arm/bracket I found find on google. They are getting canceled left and right. I’m pretty sure my card went to some shady websites too
This sucks
 
I checked my extra arm and there’s a wear mark where the arm and tensioner meet. There’s no play if I wiggle it though.
 
I checked my extra arm and there’s a wear mark where the arm and tensioner meet.

If you can't find a new one to buy and you want it fixed you can find a local machine shop to weld material to fill it and then they can cut it back to flush. To get rid of the divit. I would take a measurement with a caliper (before you have the work done) to check there work after you get it back. I don't like the idea of cutting the arm material away to get rid of the divit without adding material. But that's just me.
Good luck
 
Bought everything again. Got a used tensioner arm and mount from performance part out. Went with the oem Kevlar belt instead of gates
 

Attachments

  • 81305D60-3B61-4A65-B4AB-96C6E1FE0951.jpeg
    81305D60-3B61-4A65-B4AB-96C6E1FE0951.jpeg
    170.5 KB · Views: 64
You know how when you lose something and buy a new one, you find the old one. I just got shipping confirmation my brand new mount and arm was shipped
 
Can you say where you found one? I am still looking too.
 
Support Vendors who Support the DSM Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Innovation Products Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications MyMitsubishiStore.com RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Latest posts

Build Thread Updates

Vendor Updates

Latest Classifieds

Back
Top