Cambelt snapped

[SuperRedMR2]

Yes it came with the Gates kit.

I didn't fit the belt but I'm not trying to shift the blame into the person who did.

I just checked the cams and they are not seized so at least they are ok.

[aw11rally]

Was the low oil pressure ever resolved? Did you keep it running with the tappy top end?

I've heard of cams ceasing / going tight causing belts to snap. I would have thought that the crank bearings would go before the cam with low oil pressure though.

Have you had a look under the cambelt cover yet? It's easy to remove the top one. At least then you can check everything moves freely by hand / spanner.

[aw11rally]

Yes it came with the Gates kit.

I didn't fit the belt but I'm not trying to shift the blame into the person who did.

I just checked the cams and they are not seized so at least they are ok.

Well that's my question answered!

[SuperRedMR2]

How did the belt end up like this then?

This is the worst picture.



There is still 1/4 of the belt left wrapped around the cam gear.

The crank rotates fine with no issues at all. Unfortunately I can't get the crank pulley off so will need to borrow a breaker bar.

[PW@Woodsport]

Incorrect fitment, it's been rubbing or catching on something, or you haven't installed the tensioner properly, either way they don't do that by themselves.

Inspect inside the timing belt area and see where you went wrong.

[boondougal]

definitly a sad sight but as Paul says, need to get it opened up and have a look, there will be some indication about what went wrong.

Take pictures before you move anything, get the position of the tensioner and pictures of the assemblies etc etc... you can always come back to them later to have anther look. very easy to mis something.

Its all fixable though. A very simple google search on brand new cam belt shredded quickly shows that this isn't the first time its happened to someone.

Generally they conclude some kind of installation error / tension problem that cause the belt to ride on the lip, catch something and get shredded by the revolutions until it eventually snaps

[SuperRedMR2]

I can feel a sharp bit of plastic on the bottom covers but the belt shouldnt have been anywhere near that.

Ill get the crank pulley off on Thursday to remove the rest of the belt.

The tensioner spins freely but wont know if any other damage is there til that comes off either.

[SuperRedMR2]

The supplier of the belt is calling me back shortly regarding it's warranty. I bought on the 17th june 2013!

[PW@Woodsport]

Mate it's got nothing to do with belt failure or warranty, it's fitment error, i've fitted Mk1 belts that have seen 60k easily.

Belts just do not fail within 1300 miles unless there is a tensioner issue or not installed properly.

[SuperRedMR2]

They are sending me a replacement kit. I'm not going to buy another one if it's still within warranty.

[PW@Woodsport]

Yeah but you've claimed a new belt under warranty when it clearly isn't a belt issue, look at it, it's been shredded by catching on something.

Not having a go, just pointing out the obvious, you need to find out why it failed or it will happen again.

[PW@Woodsport]

Also are you sure the top end noise you have been hearing hasn't been the belt flapping inside the cam cover? I've heard noises like that seem as if they are top end related.

[SuperRedMR2]

yes i know ive got to find out why it happened.

i want to word this without sounding like im disagreeing or i think you are wrong, but its not always down to user error why things go wrong.

the noise wasnt constant and at 2.3k rpm then it went away.

[PW@Woodsport]

Sorry Alex i disagree mate, it's like saying if the engine had never been touched or worked on then that belt failure would have happened anyway.... which is extremely unlikely, borderline impossible.

Nearly all of the time it's down to operator error when a belt shreds like that 1300 from new.

Was the lower cambelt retainer plate installed? If that is left off the belt will shred.

[SuperRedMR2]

thats a good point but until i get the pulley off i cannot confirm

[Fastfish]

Well the 4age is meant to be valve safe but were you pushing it when the belt let go
Also was the belt old, non Toyota etc.

Where did you get that info from??? it cert is not a safe head...bends valves for fun it does.....had one go and do all 16 and 5 guides once

[PW@Woodsport]

The 4a-ge has and always will be a non interference engine, in fact ALL Toyota petrol engines are.

[Peter Gidden]

in fact ALL Toyota petrol engines are.

2007 Yaris engine.

[oukie]

Well the 4age is meant to be valve safe but were you pushing it when the belt let go
Also was the belt old, non Toyota etc.

Where did you get that info from??? it cert is not a safe head...bends valves for fun it does.....had one go and do all 16 and 5 guides once

I don't know, perhaps personal experience from owning mk1's since
1997.

Where did you hear they weren't, or was it personal experience
Of your own 4age letting go, Same question as I put to Alex what RPM were you at when the belt let go, if the belt were to snap at say 7k I suspect it would seriously damage even valve safe engine's

[PW@Woodsport]

in fact ALL Toyota petrol engines are.

2007 Yaris engine.

Oh right, i wonder if there are any others?