Cambelt cover

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Fairly recently I've replaced my cambelt. Now in the last week or so I've noticed a strange noise, particularly on startup not so much when warm. So I've been out to investigate.
My cam belt cover is rubbing on both the inlet & exhaust top pulleys .
I took care not to overtighten the two setscrews that retain it and on removal it is lightly scored on the inside face.

Are these items prone to warping or am I missing something? S'pose I could always pack it with a washer on the setscrews inbetween the mating halves.

Any advise welcome

[AlanS]

Hi,

Fairly recently I've replaced my cambelt. Now in the last week or so I've noticed a strange noise, particularly on startup not so much when warm. So I've been out to investigate.
My cam belt cover is rubbing on both the inlet & exhaust top pulleys .
I took care not to overtighten the two setscrews that retain it and on removal it is lightly scored on the inside face.

Are these items prone to warping or am I missing something? S'pose I could always pack it with a washer on the setscrews inbetween the mating halves.

Any advise welcome

Don't do that whatever you do; I believe my car had the bolt that the slide clip with the slotted hole slides over, drop out and take out the cambelt before I got it, so anything in there can cause major dramas if something goes amiss.
If the belt is rubbing against the face of the cover or the back section behind the sprockets, then the belt isn't on properly.
It should be sitting almost central in the sprockets. I had one go amiss on my Xantia when I did it; it turned out to be the centre piece for the tensioner sitting on a slight dag on the casting.
If any component is even a couple of degrees out of square, it will send the belt towards one of the ends of the sprockets and the covers at that stage do no more than do you a favour by warning you it's trying to fall off.
If it's striking the top of the cover above the sprockets, I would hazard a guess that it is one tooth out between the sprockets and flapping against it.
Go back over your job and do a double check.


Alan S

[Anonymous]

Thanks Alan but the belt is fine. It is perfectly central on the sprockets and running 'true' around its length. In addition the car runs / goes a treat, I was extra carefull when replacing the belt using Luke's pins).
As mentioned it is the sprockets themselves that are rubbing on the inside face of the cover (only very slightly) but the rubbing can be heard. If I leave the bolts and centre slide bar in-situ, I need only apply the lightest pressure to the top lip of the cover to remove the rubbing noise - just as though the cover is very slightly warped (where the sprockets run).

Cheers

[Adrian E]

Tony

That's pretty common, particularly after everything's been disturbed to change the belt. Only option really is to replace the covers, or just live with it. Mine did it when cold, and was fine when warm. Tended to only be in cold weather. If yours is doing it all the time then I'd go the new cover route

Adrian

[Anonymous]

Hi Adrian,
I suppose wrestling with the cover to get it out doesn't help too much .

Thanks for the input.

[RobC]

mine did it for a while when the cambelt had just been replaced. after a while the noise lessned then disappeared - the sprockets had worn a new line in the soft plastic of the cover.

problem solved!