951carter

the raised rib on the sprocket for the tensioner should be on the block side. I have seen them come new in the box installed backwards. the belt will run towards the block if it is backwards as this is what keeps it in line.if it is on correctly i do not see how your belt could have rubbed the engine as it would have had to jump over the rib.good luck.

Perry 951

I was thinking the same thing, and the ridge is on the tensioner side of the idler, not the block side. This is how it came new (just got the whole assembly), and I thought of turning it around, but was unsure if I should or not. It would make sense for me to flip it since it tracks towards the block. The water pump has one on it to keep the belt from going the other directon. I think I will do that rather than ripping out the water pump since it is new. Thanks for the re-assuring heads up.

I am debating on buying another head gasket. I have put 2 on it (all wide fire), and they have been torqued and heated from the warm up. Question... can you re-use stamped head gaskets after they have been warmed up and seated, or should I swallow the $100 for another one? Seems silly to cut a corner on a $10,000 project, but hey, it's $100 that I could save if it is possible. If you know, let me know. I just assumed that you cannot re-use them.

951carter

yep, thats your problem then, do i hear class action lawsuit? And no, you cannot re-use the headgasket once it is torqued. But at least you know that this will be the LAST one for awhile after you flip the sprocket around.

adie

I know you hate my car but here's my two pence worth, from what I can read the cam has stopped and the engines continued to turn doing all the damage, if you havn't already put it back together check preinstalled hights of springs, and Cam lobe interference, I don't know or even profess to know what parts work with your setup but generally the bigger the cam the more head work needed to get clearences, check your expansion clearences on cam duration with preload spring gapping to ensure your not binging coils or hitting valve guides.
Just a thought.

Alan C.

Try Vertex and few others for the wide fire head gasket. I've seen prices as low as $70.

Perry 951

I refuse to work with Virtex. My father has recieved some shotty peices from them over the years for his 911-GT2 porject, not to mention what I have read here. I'll call Jason again and give him some more hard earned money, and I am happy to do it.

To clearify my problems, and I think we have solved them, here goes.

1st rebuild: Apart from leaving out the friggin ring gear, the reason for the smashed valves was the bad tracking of the belt. I would say that when there was load, it slipped to the edge of the crank pully and slipped 8 teeth (that is how far it was off). 4 new intakes

2nd Rebuild: Same thing, except that I heard a ticking and shut her down. 2 Intakes.

3rd Rebuild: After close inspection, the keeper came apart on the #3 Exhaust valve, the spring crammed the lifter into the cam tower cracking it and locking up the cam. (cam has some good nicks in it, and might be bent.) No other valves got hit.. thank god.

So that is that. I will have the head gone over again, and the switch of the idler should take care of things.

Thanks all very much for all the input. I still have yet to get a response from anyone with a cam and tower to sell off.. so I can't do anything until then.

rplencne

I second the comment about V*rtex. I've got a box of parts that will be going back to them today. To summarize the junk I got ... damaged thrust bearing (nicks the crank face), damaged balance shaft bearings (again, nicks on the face), crushed box of rod bearings, water pump with rusty impellers.

Their packers must have thought that the best way to keep the bearing from rattling around in the box was to put a pressure plate on top of them. Also, the reason I got from their sales people on why they paint the outside of the aluminum pump ... to keep it from rusting.

I guess I see why their prices are so reasonable ... they must buy JC Whitney cast-offs.

art

When I first read this I had the thought that if the head was not machined parallel to the cam axis, the belt would tend to track off the pulley one way or another. The comment about the torque of the headbolts affecting the belt alignment seems to bear this out. Since you already suspect some of your head work it may be wise to check this.

Art

Perry 951

Checked it every time. It is square and true. I am pretty sure that the postioning of the idler was the problem, along with the water pump. I think that the pump was not square, and that helped move the belt.

We shall see as it will be together soon.