Cambelt tensioner damage - please help!
 

Hi, had my '93L WRX for a few weeks now but last night when I pulled over the was a strange bearing style noise, no drop in performance or oil or water anywhere, after stripping the cambelt cover off I found this -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSCF3089.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSCF3091.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSCF3092.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...n/DSCF3090.jpg

One of the cambelt tensioners was sitting about 45 degree's to flush as the bolt was bent/shearing, and when I tried to remove it it totally sheared. It had moved the cambelt forwards due to the angle and the cambelt had burned through the cover and it had nearly come off one of the camshaft pulleys but not quite. Part of the bolt is still in the head.

Has anyone had this before? Did it cause any permanent damage? As I mentioned there was no drop in performance and it drove on/off the breakdown truck as per normal.

I was planning to fit a full cambelt kit to see if everything still works, can anyone recommend a good cheap supplier for the kit and i've been told there's a hydraulic tensioner, is it worth replacing? (cars done 92k).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

As long as the belt didnt jump,you should be ok (well lucky)
I got the cast alloy tensioner housing from API Engines (stripped thread on mine)
and they might also have the eccentric idler and tensioner.
:thumb:

Hi, thanks for your response, is the area the tensioner's bolted to a removable item? It looked like it was part of the block/head to me? How much was the housing?

Many thanks!

I'm sorry to say this, but be prepared for some bent valves. Make sure you get a "leak down" test done before you turn the engine over fully.

Meant to say, it is bolted to a separate bracket that is easily replaced.

Mark.

How strange, as we have just had this exact same thing happen too our own car but the cambelt jumped and damaged all the WRC valves that had done 800 mls on a brand new 2.5ltr engine, luckily it was our own car.

This is as far as I know not a common thing but I guess it does happen now and agaqin. Definetly look for bent valves as they are very prone to total damage.

Len

go buy a lotto ticket

you are the luckiest of the lucky

I think you will need - new cam belt - new tensioner - new idlers - new covers
the fact you drove it on and off the truck and it runs fine - your valve timing didnt skip a beat - how ! we will never know

Am I missing something here ? :wonder:

i had a similar thing but it was the ceramic/plastic cam pulley that disintegrated on me,was expecting the worst but decided to try a new belt and pulley and i must have been lucky as i got away with no damage to internals,that was 14 months ago

The photo of the damage is after I tried to remove the tensioner that was bent at an angle and snapped the bolt, until I tried to remove it the belt was still in place though on the verge of slipping off on the right hand side. And the car still drove perfectly and sounded normal except for the whine/squeal. I'm just hoping my luck holds out!

Is there a recommended supplier for the cambelt kit, ie good quality kit but good value? Someone mentioned to me that there was a hydraulic tensioner too, is it worth replacing (car 92k).

Thanks again for everyones help :notworthy

Hi, managed to save the money for a new full cambelt kit and tensioner, does anyone know of the best value supplier for the kit and tensioner? I'm after the full kit, all tensioners/pulleys and the hydraulic tensioner too. Seen one on ebay but there's usually a supplier that comes recommended on these forums.

Many thanks!

Do you want cheap or OEM, personally I'd take a hit and by OEM having been bit on the ass by pattern parts. If you want OEM then speak to Mark at Lateral Performance.

92k, '93 L plate, I dont mind cheap because I dont think i'll have it for more then another year before I buy a newer impreza, but i'll check out lateral performance thanks for the lead!

I think I have the entire assembly off my old engine (bottom end faliure), p.m. me if your interested and we can sort something out....