broken timing belt

[fishbatman]

Well, it's official. I've had my first broken timing belt, in my spirit r/t. I just left a job interview, and i was an hour from home. Thank god for AAA.

I know these cars are fairly notorious for breaking timing belts, but it looked almost as if the belt let go. The fabric was separating from the rubber, Is this typical? At any rate, my new belt is getting shipped in from maine ( I'm in mass), so it should be here sometime after tomorrow and before saturday.

any tips out there on which belt is the best, and maybe some belt preventative maintainance.


Thanks -Eric

[mopar2ya]

Gates made in Italy seems to be the concensus. tension and retension after 500 miles is necessary for belt life. Get the proper tension tool.

[fishbatman]

i checked out fwd performance, and i couldn't find a tension tool. Where can i find one?

[lotashelbys]

Wallace is right about the Gates(T206) and make sure it says made in Itaily on the box.

If I were you and wanted my next belt to last for a long time I would do the following....
1-pull the timing pulleys off and inspect for any knicks in the teeth and file them. I even go as far as to bead-blast and clear the pulleys so rust isnt even an issue(ask Bansheenut420 how nice they are like that)
2-pull the idler and tensioner pulley off and re-grease them
3-loosen the rocker shafts so its easier to position the cam pulleys and you get a better reading for tension.
4-pin the cams and install the belt counter-clockwise starting with the crank pulley
5-tension belt to 95LBS on your nice new belt tension gauge then tighten the rocker shafts back down(remember the shaft bolts hav a de-torquing and re-torquing sequence)
6-go do a big burnout to make sure the timing is right

[lotashelbys]

Heres a few on eBay right now
eBay Motors: BELT TENSION GAUGE (item 290197857262 end time Jan-19-08 15:51:18 PST)
Or a Buy It Now if you dont wanna wait for an auction. This is the same style mine is but not the same brand.
eBay Motors: OTC 6673 BELT Tension Timing Belt Gauge Universal (item 300191005779 end time Feb-14-08 16:16:37 PST)

[mopar2ya]

I got mine from SPX Miller special tools way way back when they were like 70.00

[lotashelbys]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mopar2ya I got mine from SPX Miller special tools way way back when they were like 70.00

Thats what mine is that I got from Rick D but I paid more than 70 bucks for it

[rc91 Spirit R/T]

Unless you want to redo the belt in another 10,000 miles, maybe more if your lucky, I would get the titanium retainers. The retainers raise the installed height of the valve springs and significantly reduce the power needed to turn the camshafts.

Keep in mind you will probably need lifters unless your an octopus. The stock lifters are held together with plastic retainers that are usually missing huge chunks and fall apart when you pull the rocker arms. Becareful when pulling the rockers arms, you don't want to loose any part of the lifters inside the engine, or the tiny spacers behind the lifters inside the rocker arms.

I've used a non-Italian made belt and it lasted 45,000 miles and would've probably gone longer but I lost a head gasket.

When my car did break belts, it would just strip the teeth out of them, it didn't physically break the belt in two. I think Mopar goofed when they made the crank pulley so small (don't know how it's size compares to other makes), it doesn't have much surface area into the belt, combined with insane valve spring pressures just made for a bad scenario.

[fishbatman]

so i fixed my timing belt tonight. Took it for a test drive, blew my cv joint. I'm going to bed.

[JayLo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishbatman so i fixed my timing belt tonight. Took it for a test drive, blew my cv joint. I'm going to bed.

LOL Sorry to hear that, man but that sounds exactly like how a TIII story should go.

I popped a stock headgasket in my Spirit R/T after some fun at the track. After that, I tore it apart, got the head/manifolds LoneWolf ported/reworked, Cometic head gasket, ARP head studs, adjustable sprockets, new lifters, new timing belt, 50-trim hybrid, downpipe, etc, etc. I spent a TON of time buttoning it back together so as to not forget any bolts, torque specs, etc.

When I go to fire it up, nothing. It wont even crank. It ends up that the starter died right after I fired it up to pull it in the garage to start the whole headgasket/topend rebuild. Go figure.

[captainvid]

does anyone know the Mopar part number for the timing belt used on the 16v 2.2 engine - year 1989?

[DaPepster!]

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainvid does anyone know the Mopar part number for the timing belt used on the 16v 2.2 engine - year 1989?

According to Arizona Parts, it is 4425951.

[wasp]

more about belt tension gauges:
will this one work?
eBay Motors: Tension Gauge for Drive Belts & Cam Belts (item 330203902114 end time Feb-12-08 04:12:50 PST)

thanks

[1QK4DR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasp more about belt tension gauges: will this one work? eBay Motors: Tension Gauge for Drive Belts & Cam Belts (item 330203902114 end time Feb-12-08 04:12:50 PST) thanks

This should work the only thing you have to convert because the other gauge shows in-lb and this one is in NM.

95lb = 10.73NM if my math is right

[93IROC/RT]

So these engine's have enough clearance to not bend valves when the belt breaks?