| Author |
Message |
Mike Fisher (Mikef)
Junior Member
Username: Mikef
Post Number: 70
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 8:36 am: | |
It has (had) a tendency to backfire on occasion, especially in stop and go traffic, and get loaded up, so I really didn't think that much about it when it happened. I got used to this over the years I've had the car. |
Ernesto (T88power)
Member
Username: T88power
Post Number: 366
Registered: 2-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 11:58 pm: | |
This is why you should always stop and check the engine when you feel trouble. The worst thing you could have done was drive it up to 40mph after the initial loss of power and backfire.
Anyway, good luck with your repairs. It sounds like you at least have a case against the mechanic...
Ernesto |
Mike Fisher (Mikef)
Junior Member
Username: Mikef
Post Number: 68
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 10:30 pm: | |
Forgot to mention. There seems to be a lot of rubber dust in the belt area and inside the pulleys. To me this would indicate some wearing and collecting of this dust over a period of time rather than a sudden failure. Any opinions? |
Stephen Patterson (Srpatterson)
Junior Member
Username: Srpatterson
Post Number: 151
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 10:03 pm: | |
Just FYI, but I know that Chris Hill at Autosport Gallery (see header ad) will not do a belt service without replacing the tensioners. This is not my area of expertise, but I think you are definately going to need a second opinion. |
Brian stewart (Eurocardoc)
Member
Username: Eurocardoc
Post Number: 280
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 10:03 pm: | |
As I have popsted before, my experience is that I run the car with the new belts then retension them, I often find the rear (5-8) belt is loose, never figured out why, but the tensioner seems to not set the belt right. Just my 2cents |
Mike Fisher (Mikef)
Junior Member
Username: Mikef
Post Number: 67
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 10:01 pm: | |
I checked the air pump and it turned freely. I had heard that they can seize so that is one of the things I looked at today. Air pumps are virtually new having been replaced last fall. |
Mike Fisher (Mikef)
Junior Member
Username: Mikef
Post Number: 66
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 9:56 pm: | |
Tensioners were not on the list of parts. Description of work done said "replace cam belts and tension as necessary.." "set cam timing", so I guess they were not replaced. Hopefully they would check them as part of the procedure. |
Stephen Patterson (Srpatterson)
Junior Member
Username: Srpatterson
Post Number: 148
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 9:47 pm: | |
Mike,
Do you know if they also replaced the belt tensioners? I've seen this cause timing belt failure. |
Edward Gault (Irfgt)
Intermediate Member
Username: Irfgt
Post Number: 1374
Registered: 2-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 9:27 pm: | |
There are no cam bearings that are a replaceable item to my knowledge. The cam runs directly in the head bores. Oil pressure loss would be my first impression without seeing any evidence. I have replaced thousands of timing belts and in all likelyhood something siezed up causing the belt to strip. A valve could have broken and the spring or shim could have come loose stopping the cam from turning. A AIR pump can sieze causing the problem if equipped. An idler pulley can sieze or the cam pulley guide can break off. A bunch of possibilities. I would love to see the valve cover removed. Be sure to take your camera to document the evidence. |
Scott Anderson (Srandrsn)
Junior Member
Username: Srandrsn
Post Number: 111
Registered: 4-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 9:17 pm: | |
What would be the most likely cause for a cam to sieze? Cam bearing failure or are there other possibilities...just curious |
Edward Gault (Irfgt)
Intermediate Member
Username: Irfgt
Post Number: 1370
Registered: 2-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 8:12 pm: | |
This is going to be interesting. I bet that a cam siezed and stripped the belt and that they will deny the repair on that account. |
BretM (Bretm)
Advanced Member
Username: Bretm
Post Number: 2649
Registered: 2-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 7:43 pm: | |
I would definitely go after them to repair it all. The pistons are softer than the valves for the most part so there is a chance that no real damage occured. Hopefully they just kissed the pistons and didnt bend any of them. Nicked up pistons is no big deal, but bent valves obviously is. There is no way to be sure though unless it is all pulled apart. I'm no lawyer, but it seems to me they are responsible for something that is so clearly their fault. |
Mike Fisher (Mikef)
Junior Member
Username: Mikef
Post Number: 64
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 6:52 pm: | |
Well, I have had the dreaded cam belt failure on my 77 308. Last night while driving home I stopped at a stop light and when the light turned green, I seemed to notice a loss of power: like it was not getting any gas. It backfired and gained power but when I got up to about 40 mph it went real flat and then started to make all kinds of mechanical noises. After $90.00 for a three mile ride on a flat bed wrecker, I looked at it in the garage and found all the teeth on the belt chewed up on the rear bank only. Front bank looked like new. I just got it back on April 2, after a $2960.00 belt change, tune up etc. from a Ferrari dealer! Probably haven't driven it 300 miles since. Needless to say, there will be some hell raised over this. |