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 STM Tuned
Please Support Fuel Injector Clinic

2G Balance shaft belt and pulley issues

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.

406_Talon

Supporting Member
116
13
Jun 30, 2014
Kalispell, Montana
Hello, fellow DSMers. Perhaps you can help me.

I just built a motor for my 2g, put it in, started it for a 20 minute first run and afterward I wanted to double check everything, make sure my T belt looked good, and front main and tensioner bolts weren't leaking, (they weren't. hooray.)

When I got the timing cover off, I noticed some black-bluish fuzz that wasn't there before I ran the motor. You can see some in the attached picture. There was more, maybe a teaspoon, but I brushed some out before I thought to take a picture. I think it may be coming from my Balance Shaft belt, which appears to be rubbing the plate and has possibly worn the edge of the belt a little. You can see the yellow edge on the blue belt.

Is is possible that I have the wrong tensioner pulley? Maybe a 1g? According to my research, the pulley lip always goes out, despite VFAQ stating that 95 and 96 face in, is this correct?

Has anyone had this fuzz occur with a Gates blue balance shaft belt?

Is it ok to run?
Does it look like everything is right?
Should I order a new tensioner?
Should I pull that belt out and replace it?

I can take more photos if needed. Any input is appreciated.
Cheers

You must be logged in to view this image or video.


You must be logged in to view this image or video.


You must be logged in to view this image or video.


You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
I think the tensioner pulley is correct with the lip on the outside. You can see the sheen on the driven pulley from where the BS belt has been riding in the pictures too.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
It looks more like it's getting rubbed by the trigger plate as opposed to having anything to do with the tensioner pulley.
 
Why am i thinking its different for different years? Can somebody confirm if different part numbers exist? Either way you can tell how it mounts because there will be an obvious offset to space the pulley away from the oil pump.
 
What year is this and is it a 6 or 7 bolt?

Quote from www.VFaq.com: "NOTE that if you are replacing the balance belt tensioner pulley, there is a lip on this pulley - on 95s, the lip goes on the inside, towards the block. 97-up, possibly 96-up, have a different pulley with a smaller lip, their pulley installs with the lip on the outside."

The fuzz almost definitely is coming from the balance belt's edge rubbing - don't run it until resolved. I agree with the post 2 comment "The balance belt should be centered on the balance shaft sprocket, and it definitely isn't." Of course in the pic the belt is way loose and not tensioned properly which may be why if it was run this way.

Part numbers: https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/timing-belt-went-bye-bye-question.224147/#post-50336372
 
Mitsubishi has been upgrading the part numbers & ASA shows the same tensioner pulley for all turbo 2G's now.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.

Before the these updates the early 1995 was different from the the later.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys.

I found two threads where it was stated that the 97-up part number for the pulley had superseded the 95-96 part, and that the inside-lip version pulleys were no longer in production.

JNZ and STM only have 1g and 2g versions listed. The block is a 95 or 96 - the Timing Belt tensioner is the "early" version, I'm sure of that because I had originally bought a late 2g tensioner LOL.

I have a spare Gates blue timing belt, I think I also have another pulley. I bought this motor for a pretty good deal assembled, only to find out that it had a lot of wrong pieces...

So I guess what has me stumped is whether there are specific model numbers for 95-96 B Belt tensioner pulleys, or should I just use the same part flipped over? I thought the 95-96 "lip inside" version had a differently machined lip?

Mitsubishi has been upgrading the part numbers & ASA shows the same tensioner pulley for all turbo 2G's now.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.

Before the these updates the early 1995 was different from the the later.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.

Mello, in your opinion, does this mean I should flip the (new part number, thinner & taller lip) pulley or not? ie, should an early 2g run the new part # with the lip on the inside, or outside?

I was given the impression from a thread here that the FSM stated flange toward front of engine - on the outside.

Of course in the pic the belt is way loose and not tensioned properly which may be why if it was run this way.

Did you mean my belt in my photos is way too loose? Or in the posted image?

I don't have any way to properly check the belt tension, I probably ought to go get a inch pound needle-type torque wrench and do it that way if I'm visibly off on my tension here.

I had though I was too tight if anything. I had my old motor tensioned about like that for, maybe 20k or so :/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The "B" belt in your photo looks loose. You tension it by loosening the bolt and rotating the pulley CW (around the bolt since the bolt is offset from the pulley center) into the belt with your hand (or rag covered screwdriver) until the belt deflection is tiny and stiff, then tighten bolt (no torque wrench will help you adjust tension since tightening the bolt doesn't adjust tension). Rotate engine a turn and recheck. Usually you can't flip the tensioner pulley because the offset is then different (it then sits further out or in from the base causing belt to not be ride it correctly).
 
Ok, I verified that it's an oem 2g tensioner, and it is indeed facing the correct way according to this thread: https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/balance-shaft-belt-position.515025/

I tried a pulley that I had that turned out to be a 1g pulley, and it hit the crank trigger plate, so I flipped it and I think the belt is slightly deflected that way...
I suppose I may simply have had it too loose. I will try to tension it correctly and update tomorrow. Is there any way to verify the tension without special tools? Or at least with relatively inexpensive ones?

Oh, Nd I realized I forgot to mention that the engine is a 97 block with a 95 front case. I would think it would be the front case that is different on the "early" 2gs that take a "backwards" tensioner, correct?
 
For the sake of anyone who runs into this thread, I think the gates belts just make a bit of dust when they wear in, I verified to the best of my ability that the belts are correctly tensioned, I compared the different front cases and there is no difference in the area of the tensioner, so I am 100% certain that the 97 pulley fits on a 95, and I have run the engine quite a bit now and the belts seem fine. To summarize, the "backwards" pulley no longer exists but it isn't needed, on a 95 or 96 this part is the correct part and the correct orientation (lip towards front of motor/drivers' side of car)
 
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