Hello Folks,
After hearing about another failed timing belt, due to the serpentine belt shredding,
I thought surely this has to stop!!!
This is the 8th Common Rail Failure I have heard about, so driving home today, I decided to make a better shield.
The factory one is pressed tin, offering no protection from a failed serpentine belt.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=4629402#post4629402
This is what we have for a Stock Shield:
Huge center hole and a great deal of clearance behind the Pulley backside.
.
.
Well, tonight, I started to make up a solid 1/2" thick aluminum cover, in hopes of preventing this disaster.
The Timing belt Protector!!
.
The new design is such that there is a major labyrinth path before the shreds of serpentine belt can get into the lower timing sprocket. Close fitting around the crankshaft pulley outer diameter, back face and the diameter of the sprocket, compared to the "open" factory tin.
.
.
The Crankshaft Pulley fits into a recessed diameter on the new shield, as well as contours to the mounting hub.
.
.
I'll finish it off with some counterboring for the mounting screws and a bit of backside clearance machining.
Lets open it up for discussion!!!
All the best,
Andrew
After hearing about another failed timing belt, due to the serpentine belt shredding,
I thought surely this has to stop!!!
This is the 8th Common Rail Failure I have heard about, so driving home today, I decided to make a better shield.
The factory one is pressed tin, offering no protection from a failed serpentine belt.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=4629402#post4629402
Oh, it's big alright: $5,100. Just got off the phone with the service guy. He says the serpentine got wound up around something, the tension caused it to jump out of timing.
Well said gmc. Quote of the Year for me!!!The Timing Belt Cover over the cogged timing belt, one that drives the cam, HPFP, water pump, is a piece of idiotic design the defies explanation. I know why they did it, but it is still bad.
The cover has ZERO protection to the lower timing belt crankshaft pulley. The pulley is very small, only about 2.5" in diameter. The outer pulley for the serpentine belt, about 5" Dia., bolts directly to the timing belt pulley. The cover basically is wide open because the pulleys are bolted onto each other. Anything that gets between the outer serpentine pulley and the cover, gets fed right into the timing belt pulley......
Ever take a fork and stick it in spaghetti and spin it, wrap it up the spaghetti. The serpentine belt does not break it splits long ways in strips, think spaghetti. Then it gets between serpentine belt pulley and timing belt cover. It goes right into the cogged timing belt pulley (think fork) and wraps up between the pulley and the timing belt.
This is what we have for a Stock Shield:
Huge center hole and a great deal of clearance behind the Pulley backside.
.
.
Well, tonight, I started to make up a solid 1/2" thick aluminum cover, in hopes of preventing this disaster.
The Timing belt Protector!!
.
The new design is such that there is a major labyrinth path before the shreds of serpentine belt can get into the lower timing sprocket. Close fitting around the crankshaft pulley outer diameter, back face and the diameter of the sprocket, compared to the "open" factory tin.
.
.
The Crankshaft Pulley fits into a recessed diameter on the new shield, as well as contours to the mounting hub.
.
.
I'll finish it off with some counterboring for the mounting screws and a bit of backside clearance machining.
Lets open it up for discussion!!!
All the best,
Andrew