Bones944

While driving my 86 n/a 60 miles from home today at work, I suddenly noticed a bad vibration and loss of power. I immediately pulled into a parking lot, shut down and opened the hood. I noticed a black powder around the edge of the timing cover, so I resigned myself to a long distance tow. Got the car home ( for $100) on a flatbed and proceeded to remove the timing cover and found the roller for the balance shaft belt completely locked up and about 40% of the teeth on the belt disappeared into the black dust. I called the PO who had the belts done about 10K miles ago ( I bought this car in March) and lo and behold, he ONLY had the belts replaced, no tensioners or rollers. Knucklehead.......
Now I'm going to break down and buy a 9201 and do yet another set of belts, after just doing the 951 a few weeks ago.

Tom R.

I bought my car in september from a dealer that bragged about the belts being replaced. when it was time to adjust them in february and i left the car at my mechanic he asked me what the loud whine was.

I matter of factly told him it was the fuel pump. He told me the fuel pump wasnt in the front of the motor....

since it was bitter cold i never opened the windows, and thought the whine was coming from the rear. needless to say the rollers were replaced.

Bones944

Mine never made the slightest sound that i could hear, I just felt the bad vibration under acceleration, and some loss of power, no vibration at idle. It's probably been slipping for awhile and slowly grinding the belt down, hence the belt residue everywhere, but I never heard a thing.

jim968

Bones, y'all better run out & buy a lottery ticket while you're hot... sounds like you just dodged the big bullet on this 'un. <img src="graemlins/bigok.gif" border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" />

And this is part of why I don't like loud stereos. They cover up all the warning sounds that tell you in advance that something's about to turn to s&*t...

Jim, "Siren? What siren? I didn't hear no siren!"

Deepice

I would do a leakdown test to see if you bent any valves...

Bones944

Cam belt is still perfectly in time, and looks perfect (though I will replace it too) so I don't see how any valves could be bent, however I will pray towards Stuttgart for my good luck, and sense enough to shut it down and tow it rather than try to limp somewhere. I'm ordering my parts, what constitutes an updated waterpump?

Dave951M

The updated waterpump has the ramp on it to insure that the timing belt can't vibrate and hit itself. Other than that, no difference that I could see. In order to use it, you will have to enlarge a hole in your back timing belt cover. Go buy a lottery ticket, oops, we don't have one.

Bones944

By ramp, do you mean the guide bar?

Bones944

This waterpump has the guide bar and looks no different than the 87 951's.
BTW Dave, the car was in Henderson......about 10 miles from the Virginia border. Shoulda hitchhiked across and bought a few