1G Jumped timing while tightening pressure plate

[silentsnow31802]

I was installing a new clutch today and while tightening down the pressure plate the engine spins over a little and I hear a clunk sound.
Pretty sure it was the timing belt slipping on the crank side.
I put some marks on the cams and belt and make it clunk again and they didnt move but still got the clunk sound and what seemed to feel like the belt skipping teeth.

Has anyone heard of this happening?
It found an article on vfaq that makes it sound like I can fix the belt without removing the engine. Is this true?

I tell ya man its just one thing after another with this thing...

 

[chrysler kid]

you dont have to remove the motor to check timing, or to do a timing belt.

you should rotate the crank with the vehicle in neutral to check the belt. if it is the timing belt, the belt will be damaged, or your tensioner has failed. if the belt tension was set properly when the belt was done there would be no way the belt could slip besides the belt being damaged.

so I would remove the spark plugs and set the motor to top dead center to make sure the harmonic balancer and the cam gears are still at to dead center. if there is any resistance while rotating the crank with the plugs out I would assume the belt jumped and the resistance is the piston pushing on the valve

 

[CanadianTalonTC]

you dont have to remove the motor to check timing, or to do a timing belt.

you should rotate the crank with the vehicle in neutral to check the belt. if it is the timing belt, the belt will be damaged, or your tensioner has failed. if the belt tension was set properly when the belt was done there would be no way the belt could slip besides the belt being damaged.

so I would remove the spark plugs and set the motor to top dead center to make sure the harmonic balancer and the cam gears are still at to dead center. if there is any resistance while rotating the crank with the plugs out I would assume the belt jumped and the resistance is the piston pushing on the valve

Great reply, just to clarify for the original poster there will be some resistance, but if you feel a "hard stop" resistance spot that is a valve. When you rotate the engine over as you push the valves open and closed it takes some effort.

 

[silentsnow31802]

Glad I dont have to remove the motor. Was not looking forward to that.

I did think it was odd that that could have happened. I assumed it was because I was rotating the engine backwards, opposite of the tensioner. But that still doesn't make sense now that I think about it.

If the tensioner or belt is damaged I'm glad something happened now and not while the engine was running. May have dodged a bullet.

The engine was rebuilt less thank 1k miles ago by an unknown person. I have not looked at the timing belt area at all. Seeing the past work I have found on the car I would not be surprised to find something janky there.

Ill take thing apart and inspect today hopefully. I need to get the car back together and finish tuning it. So close to being road worthy!

Thank you both for the help. Ill post back what I find.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

As a tip, always try to position your torque wrench in such a way that it ISN'T trying to rotate the engine. Clutch plate torque specs are VERY LOW so you souldnt have been able to turn the engine over hard enuf to strip teeth.
Thread 'Need help with clutch and flywheel torque doubt'

 

[silentsnow31802]

I was tightening them to 22ft lbs. So not very tight at all. I didn't think the engine turning was going to do any harm but then I heard the clunk sound.

I don't think teeth got stripped. It seems to me that the belt slacked and it skipped over the pulley on the crank side.

I just double checked and it's definitely skipped. I'll have to take the timing cover off and investigate. I'm kinda hoping to find an issue that could have been much worse down the road.

 

[steve]

I'm kinda hoping to find an issue that could have been much worse down the road.

You have. Sounds like the timing belt was too loose to begin with.

 

[DSMPT]

You sometimes hear a clunk/cracking-ish sound when you rotate the crank with timing belt by hand. It happens because of the valve train components, like bleeding down lifters and cams/valve springs/retainers/rocker arms. If so, usually no need to worry much.
If skipped or stripped the timing belt teeth, usually that occurs at the crank sprocket. So it would be hard to know it by only seeing the timing marking on cam gears.
Anyways just make sure if the mechanical valve timing and all the timing components are fine before attempting to crank by starter.

 

[pauleyman]

I agree with Steve. A little turn shouldn't have slipped a belt. When you get the cover off check the tensioner. You'll know for sure then. This may have been a blessing in disguise.

 

[silentsnow31802]

Just got everything apart and everything visually looked okay.
The non tensioner side of the belt seemed a little loose, but the pully and tensioner are all new which was to be expected based on what I was told when I bought it.
The timing was indeed off and by quite a lot.

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I have reset the timing but I need to research how people adjust the tensioner without the fancy Mitsubishi tools.
Want to make sure I do it right.

 

[dwb]

I have reset the timing but I need to research how people adjust the tensioner without the fancy Mitsubishi tools.

Take the tensioner off and SLOWLY compress it in a vice. Once it's compressed to the point the holes align, put a pin (like an allen wrench or drill bit) through the holes to hold the tensioner piston down. Loosen the eccentric pulley and reinstall the tensioner making sure timing marks align. Then you can do something like this pic to tension the belt with the eccentric pulley until your tensioner pin can be easily removed and reinstalled. Keep the pin installed and rotate the engine 6 times clockwise. Verify your timing marks align and then verify you can still easily remove/reinstall the pin. Repeat as necessary until all timing marks align and the tensioner pin can be slipped in/out without resistance.

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[silentsnow31802]

Take the tensioner off and SLOWLY compress it in a vice. Once it's compressed to the point the holes align, put a pin (like an allen wrench or drill bit) through the holes to hold the tensioner piston down. Loosen the eccentric pulley and reinstall the tensioner making sure timing marks align. Then you can do something like this pic to tension the belt with the eccentric pulley until your tensioner pin can be easily removed and reinstalled. Keep the pin installed and rotate the engine 6 times clockwise. Verify your timing marks align and then verify you can still easily remove/reinstall the pin. Repeat as necessary until all timing marks align and the tensioner pin can be slipped in/out without resistance.

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Thank you for this. It was actually very helpful.

I learned that the pulley and the bracket serve two different purposes. The pulley as shown above is to set sort of a pre load on the tensioner and must be tight enough but also not too close so that the pin can move in and out of the tensioner freely. It took me maybe 7 tried before getting it right where it needs to be. It's quite fiddly and a good amount of pressure needs to be put on the Allen wrench.

The tensioner seems to then take over and keep the tension as the belt stretches long term.

I believe this was not done properly when my engine was assembled. Thankfully I accidentally found the problem when doing the clutch. Could have been much worse later on down the road.

 

[pauleyman]

Thank you for this. It was actually very helpful.

I learned that the pulley and the bracket serve two different purposes. The pulley as shown above is to set sort of a pre load on the tensioner and must be tight enough but also not too close so that the pin can move in and out of the tensioner freely. It took me maybe 7 tried before getting it right where it needs to be. It's quite fiddly and a good amount of pressure needs to be put on the Allen wrench.

The tensioner seems to then take over and keep the tension as the belt stretches long term.

I believe this was not done properly when my engine was assembled. Thankfully I accidentally found the problem when doing the clutch. Could have been much worse later on down the road.

Bummer you didnt get a before pic.

 

[silentsnow31802]

Bummer you didnt get a before pic.

Yea... I didn't know what exactly I was looking at until it was reassembly time. It all seemed fine at first glance.

EDIT:
I did take this picture! You can barely see the top of the tensioner.

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[1990TSIAWDTALON]

Next time you put a clutch in, lock the flywheel, don't let it move backwards. If the tensioner is loose (and it looks like yours was from the beginning) it will not keep enough tension on the crank pulley to keep it from slipping a tooth or 2 or 3. I am glad that you made a little mistake and that lead you to a BIG PROBLEM that is now fine. Good job!