2G 2G DSM turbo- is it normal for the timing belt to appear slack?

[Junzu]

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I started the car for the first time in a year yesterday. While it had been sitting previously, the timing belt looked very slack. Turned it to top dead center on the cam gears and the tension adjusted automatically. But after I started it yesterday and let it sit overnight, looks slack again.

I can't get a straight answer online. Some say it's normal and some say it's not. NEW timing belt, tensioner, Idler pulley as of a year and a half ago. I'm afraid to start it right now. STOCK engine.

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[pauleyman]

No. It does go slack sometimes but what you're showing looks like incorrect tension to me. The only way to know for sure is to take off the covers and look. Who did the timing belt install? If it was you how did you tension?

 

[Junzu]

No. It does go slack sometimes but what you're showing looks like incorrect tension to me. The only way to know for sure is to take off the covers and look. Who did the timing belt install? If it was you how did you tension?

A shop did the timing install a year and a half ago, this morning I turned the cams to TDC and it adjusted and drove around fine. Tension looks good for now... but when it sits overnight it slacks... not sure what to think

 

[danl]

Sometimes the cams will tug at the belt, pulling on the tensioner. This can be worse on engines with cams.

I see a streak on the center of the outside of your belt. Is there a grove in it or does it look like it is rubbing on anything?

 

[pauleyman]

The groove is what stood out to me too. It's easy enough to remove the covers. Just because a shop did it doesn't mean its right.

 

[Junzu]

Sometimes the cams will tug at the belt, pulling on the tensioner. This can be worse on engines with cams.

I see a streak on the center of the outside of your belt. Is there a grove in it or does it look like it is rubbing on anything?

I noticed that too. That's not normal? There's no groove and my covers are off so shouldn't be hitting anything... maybe it was when I had the covers on last year?

 

[danl]

Take a closer picture of the belt, from the top.

 

[pauleyman]

I noticed that too. That's not normal? There's no groove and my covers are off so shouldn't be hitting anything... maybe it was when I had the covers on last year?

If the covers are off it will take you 1 min to verify its right or not.

 

[Junzu]

Take a closer picture of the belt, from the top.

Here it is, there is no actual gouge or pit interestingly. Flat surface all the way across. I'll check the two short oil pan bolts as well

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[97egl]

Mine was getting about that much slack after sitting if the cams landed in a spot where the cams want to rotate toward each other. I took the timing cover off to check and the cams "rotating" were actually depressing the hydraulic tensioner on mine. When I would start it the belt would "flail/flop around on top for a second and made noise until the hydraulic tensioner took up the slack and when stopped it would be tight but after sitting overnight I would normally end up with the same scenario. I replaced the hydraulic tensioner and had no more issues. There still is a tiny bit of slack but not near as much as you have. I am guessing that is what is happening to yours as well but you'd have to pull the timing cover to check.

 

[chrysler kid]

Its normal to have a "little" slack. You have alot of slack

Basically the hydraulic tensioner will settle and lose its height after sitting overnight, when setting tensioner depth this minor slack is the tensioner arm resting on the hydraulic tensioner. This is seen as a very minor bump in the top of the belt. Your belt has major slack, enough for the belt to skip timing. The wear on the belt is most likely from the timing pulley slipping until it gains traction to pull itself out of its resting position. Most likely the pulley has some rubber scars on it that match the wear on the belt. Its abnormal to show that much wear so quickly

Your belt being that loose shows me the hydraulic tensioner has not been set properly to its proper gap in the arm. The timing cover needs to be removed and the timing pulley needs to be clocked correctly. Or it could also be the tensioner pulley was not properly torqued and has now caused slack in the belt.

https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/timing-belt-tensioner-measurement.380501/

You should stop driving it immediately and set proper tensioner arm gap by adjusting the timing belt tensioner pulley.

If you are committed to this platform i highly suggest buying a factory service manual and memorize this process. No matter what shop does this work, you will always be the most dedicated and detailed about doing it RIGHT

 

[Junzu]

Its normal to have a "little" slack. You have alot of slack

Basically the hydraulic tensioner will settle and lose its height after sitting overnight, when setting tensioner depth this minor slack is the tensioner arm resting on the hydraulic tensioner. This is seen as a very minor bump in the top of the belt. Your belt has major slack, enough for the belt to skip timing. The wear on the belt is most likely from the timing pulley slipping until it gains traction to pull itself out of its resting position. Most likely the pulley has some rubber scars on it that match the wear on the belt. Its abnormal to show that much wear so quickly

Your belt being that loose shows me the hydraulic tensioner has not been set properly to its proper gap in the arm. The timing cover needs to be removed and the timing pulley needs to be clocked correctly. Or it could also be the tensioner pulley was not properly torqued and has now caused slack in the belt.

https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/timing-belt-tensioner-measurement.380501/

You should stop driving it immediately and set proper tensioner arm gap by adjusting the timing belt tensioner pulley.

If you are committed to this platform i highly suggest buying a factory service manual and memorize this process. No matter what shop does this work, you will always be the most dedicated and detailed about doing it RIGHT

Thanks for info. I have the Haynes but it's not as proper as the factory manual. I do all my own work except timing- even the clutch job was fun and not too difficult. Timing still makes me nervous but I'm gonna have to do it myself. Just need to take my time

 

[pauleyman]

I concur. Stop driving it immediately. The factory manuals are online. A paper copy is better as you know it will be specific to your year. Without even looking I would also agree the tension was not set correctly. Whatever shop you used likely did not set tension correctly. The marks you are seeing on the belt are not a result of the screws you may have read about. It is relatively easy to check tension. It's a simple visual go-no-go check.

 

[chrysler kid]

Thanks for info. I have the Haynes but it's not as proper as the factory manual. I do all my own work except timing- even the clutch job was fun and not too difficult. Timing still makes me nervous but I'm gonna have to do it myself. Just need to take my time

Its $25 for the complete factory service manual. You can write in it, add printed out pages from the internet, log your maintenance journal on the cover of it etc...

Get one. Best $25 you will ever spend on your car. I also highly suggest buying the timing tools from one of the site vendors. As a first timer doing the work, you will want them. They eliminate any guess work or "probably got it right" from doing the job

Take your time doing it. Break the job down over a few sessions. Get the lower timing cover off, take a look at everything down there. Take a bunch of pictures. Then take time to look at the shop manuals and the pictures you took. It will help your brain mentally visualize you doing the job. Take a day or two of thinking about it and how your going to do it, then you will have the confidence to overcome it

(Yes these are for an eagle talon, the eclipse ones are like $120 and are the exact same information as the eagle talon manuals)

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