pslewis

Hi all

You may remember - I have a clatter from the front of my engine - sounds like a loose chain flapping about in the chain guard of a kids bike - you get the sound????

Now, many of you made comments about the heat shield - thanks to all those

The reason for this post however is because my dealer says that the heat shield just isnt a problem on MY00 models - BUT - and this is the good one - Cambelt tension failure has happened on a few sport models!!!!!! bl00dy hell!!!!

Anyone know anything about this??? is it a common fault??? does it do any damage?? what happens if it 'goes'???

Pete

SCOTTY

Hi Pete,

Try putting GOLD wheels on your car. That may cure it

Scotty

pslewis

Thanx Spotty - I suggest you stick to the sandwich making (womans job for a 'man' who likes gold wheels!!!)

If I had gold wheels I would be scared to go to my dealer - I have seen them laughing at the girls who drive gold wheels

Any way this is far more important than a gold wheel debate - what does anyone know about this cambelt tensioner problem??

pete

logiclee

Pete,

Not heard this one. When he said Sport models was he referring to the non-turbo 2 litre engine?

When most types of cambelt tensioners fail they usually end up damaging or snapping the belt or the belt coming off the pulleys.
The resulting damage to the engine depends on wether the non-turbo lump is an interference engine or not, ie wether the valves hit the pistons, on this I'm not sure.

Lee

[This message has been edited by logiclee (edited 26 February 2001).]

SCOTTY

Pete,

No offence m8. Hope you get it sorted.

Spotty

firefox

I've heard of them failing, I've even had one fail, and managed to stop instantly. The bearing collapsed on the tensioner.

Nearly wiped out the engine!

There are two designs of tensioner. I believe they changed 97/98.

J.

pslewis

Thanx all - its ok Spotty M8

Lee, yes by sport I reckon he means the non-turbo model - but its the same engine isnt it?? basically?

Firefox - you escaped damage???

This seems to be a 'new' problem - as he said that the replacement tensioner is no different than the one which may have failed???????

Any other comments by anyone??

Pete

RB5SCOTT

My m8 had this problem on his P1. The cambelt was quite badly frayed but did not snap.
Scott

firefox

The sport (Non turbo) uses the same tensioners.

Yep... The belt didnt jump.. I stopped the engine instantly.

What exactly failed, the bearings or the actual tensioner mechanism ?

J.

pslewis

It goes in on Wed morning - will post the result

It hasnt actually failed yet - just making a hell of a racket - the noise is intermittent too??!!!

Pete

[This message has been edited by pslewis (edited 26 February 2001).]

Bob Rawle

Hope you are not driving it. Later tensioners were/are hydraulic ones and can lose tension for obvious reasons. If the belt is loose then the valves could hit the pistons .....

YOUNG GED

Hi

My tensioner went 2 weeks after I got my MY95.I was driving along and the engine just died on me and wouldn't restart.Both the tensioner and belt were replaced under warranty with no damage to the internals.(thank god)

Chris

Otis

I've heard of this. I went through a 'what's that knocking noise' spell at the end of last year with my MY00. During the course of trying to sort it they fitted two in total. First one was just a new one, but the second was a modified one that had just come out of Japan if my memory serves me correctly. They also changed the crank pulley to the most recent issue.


Otis.

pslewis

Well, latest news!!!!

This lunchtime I found the noise myself!!!!!

If I push on the cambelt cover the noise disappears!!!

If I pull on the cover the noise worsens

So, I rang my dealer - it goes in tomorrow, he still reckons its the guides or tensioner!! is he after a job or is there guides as part of the cover????? Also, the belt may be frayed on the edges due to rubbing on the cover??

Anyway, as an engineer I reckon its just a badly fitted cover which the belt happens to be clipping - thank god

Post an up-date tomorrow, will be interested to see what they say (as they are my top service team - it will be interesting to see how honest they are!!) as a nice warrant job is on the cards

pete

firefox

There are small bolts that hold the back of the cover onto the block..maybe one of those have come out, allowignt he cover to move ?

People suffer from that as a problem.. worrying to see where has the bolt gone if it has come out.

If the belt is pressing on the covers, then it sounds like it has worked its way off the wheels... (there are guides/lips on two of the wheels). If this is the case I would not drive it... and I would not drive it, if the belt is pressing on the cover.

J.

pslewis

Great isnt it???

I thought Subarus didnt fall apart???

This all sounds like I am driving a Rover!!!

NOT what I bought a Scoobie for!!

Pete

Otis

My mate had that!! Timing belt rubbing on his MY00. Sounds bloody awful!!

scoobyboy

if the belt breaks on turbo's it will do damage . if it breaks on sports it won't do damage.

pslewis

Otis - what did he do????

It isnt a big job is it?

Pete

johnfelstead

hi pete, been away so apologies for late reply.

I had a faulty cam belt tensioner on my impreza sport. Sounded like the main bearings on the crank had gone but it was a colapsing bearing in the tensioner.

When mine failed the dealers had never seen this before and incorectly diagnosed it first time, lets just say it cost them a lot of wasted time and money.

This was about 12 months ago now.

pslewis

Thanks John this looks like the cover is hitting the belt - should be simple?

pete

pslewis

Well, a report back for all of you - the cambelt was replaced under warranty today. It was apparently damaged after being rubbed on by the guides that are in place on the ends of the camshafts.

Subaru had some rally cars with cambelts jumping off the sprockets so they fitted the guides and also to the road cars - but the clearance, if wrong, can cause problems.

Anyway thanks Mill Lane, Basingstoke for a good job - by the way?? is £7:50 about right for a touch-up pen?????? seems mighty steep to me???

Also, they have quoted £180 for the 15,000 service - is this good? ok? average? high?

pete

MCRAE HATER 2

IF CAMBELT GOES ON SPORT MK11 OR LATER IT WILL DO ENGINE DAMAGE AS THEY HAVE ALTERED THE PISTON CROWN. AS FOR TENSIONERS MAKE SURE WHEN BELT IS FITED THAT THEY ARE COMPRESED VERTICALY NOT HORIZANTALY IN A VICE LIKE THE OLD CAST IRON ONES, AS IT CAN CAUSE SEAL FAILURE. PLUS IF PURCHASING NEW ONE THEY COME COMPRESED , MAKE SURE THEY ARE RELEASED + COMPRESSED (PRIMED) AT LEAST 4 TIMES AS THEY ARE FULL OF AIR AND MAY FAIL INSTANTLY.