[Mk2] [Turbo] Cambelt failure on startup

[dave wall]

Hi everyone, not been on here for a while....but a problem has arisen with my usually bulletproof car....so here goes....

Started up the car a couple of days ago and immediately (within seconds) it stalled and wouldnt restart. After a bit of diagnosis work i finally discovered that the cambelt had shred about 5 teeth, thus throwing the timing so far out it wont start. It didnt make any bangs or nasty noises when it happened, it just burbled around at 200rpm for a few seconds then stalled, so i'm hoping that nothing has broken inside there.

I'm going to be tackling the job of replacing the belt at the weekend, but i really just wondered if anyone has any experience of a belt failing and whether the rumour of the 3SGTE having a non-interference engine is actualy true, as there is lots of contradictry information out there, but very few people who have actually suffered a belt failure. Its just horrible knwing that I'll only find out if its knackered after i refit a belt!

Thanks in advance!

[karammander]

most of the time its ok, usualy makes a difference when its at high revs or high load, since it was only on startup i wouldnt worry.

put a belt on and check how it turns over by hand with the spark plugs out, try to feel for any tight spots.

cheers karam

[dawolf]

I think it'll be okay as it is indeed non-intereference and it was only idling. The engine mainly gets damaged when being driven at high revs at the time of cambelt failure.

[simmo490]

hi mate dont worry about it.

i bought a car a few weeks ago where the cam belt had failed gunning it down the motorway.

got back home put a new belt on (and water pump)

jobs a gud un, no problems at all

simmo

[JeffD]

According to page EG-3 Of the Toyota £SGTE Engine Repair manual supplement:

"Pistons are made of high temperature-resistant aluminium alloy and a depression is built into the piston head to prevent interference with the valves"

Although if you look in the Autodata Cambelt spec book that says it is an interefence type. My money's with Toyota though :-)

[dave wall]

thanks guys!

phew....looks like it should be okay then. That kinda puts my mind at ease. I'll post up my results tomorrow night when its done

thanks again

Dave

[dave wall]

well....7 hours later and i 'm about half way through. Bottom pulley was an absolute nightmare and took well over an hour and a half to remove. Good news is that so far it seems like theres no damage at all Everything turns smoothly by hand.

Now just gotta re-set the grenade pin on the tensioner and reassemble.

There goes my sunday...........

[Quigonjay]

well theres a blast from the past
alreet dave hows it going, remember you from way back, in fact you may have been the first person i spoke to imoc
(used to be quigonjay)

[dave wall]

lol....yeah blast from the past is correct. I used to be on here all the time back when i had a job that basically consisted of sitting behind a desk surfing the web, even got to be the 3rd highest poster after mike canny and shaf back before the forums all got updated a few years ago (are they still around?) For anyone who remembers, i also designed the imoc logo used all over this site

Unfortunately i dont get as much time to waste now

Anyway....reminiscing is all well and good, but the great news is that it all went well today, no damage whatsoever, reassembled it all, fired it up and everything was perfect!

This all reminded me why i love the MR2 so much after 6 years, and why ive never had the heart to sell it.

Thanks people