Timing belt pics

[toastyjosh]

So my buddy sent me these pics of his timing belt, he pulled off his cover and got this.

Sorry for the small photos, photo bucket just changed there site.
The belt has avout 50K on it, my first reaction was oh **** , the belts done.

Figure I would get some feadback ffrom you guys.
Thanks

 

[CopaMundial]

Yes, I would describe that as abnormal wear for a belt at 50k.
With damage on the back side of the belt I would guess the tensioner or one of the rollers is seized, although I guess it's possible that it's rubbing the TB cover someplace.

I think a full timing belt job is in order.
Is the car running ok?


Larger copies of the pics below.

 

[toastyjosh]

Thanks for the pic blow up!
Yea the car is running normal.

I at first thought that it had been rubbing on the cover.

 

[Caddy 16v]

The top small roller as seen in the first pic has clearly some abnormal wear consistent with the markings on the belt!

 

[Corsair]

my 0.02-
I agree the appearance is that the damage is occurring to the outer surface of the belt, may be something minor etc.

But....

Given the knowledge of how critical the TB components are, and knowing that, if anything in the TB path fails, the cylinder head will need to come off and be rebuilt...

Personally, I would declare the car out of service (not driveable). I would park it and do a complete TB job, just as if the TB were normally due. And I would be very thankful that the issue was caught by maintenance / inspection, instead of by coasting to the side of the road somewhere.

 

[Geordi]

These pics would be why I run my ALH without the top timing cover in place. Better that I have a look every time I'm under the hood, than forget about something so important.

Glad you caught it early!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[jasonTDI]

^^^Until something falls in there or crawls in there....Don't take this advice. It's just bad.

The belt look misinstalled and over tight.

 

[jimbote]

These pics would be why I run my ALH without the top timing cover in place. Better that I have a look every time I'm under the hood, than forget about something so important.

Glad you caught it early!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

it's easy enough to remove the cover for periodic inspections without exposing the belt and components to foreign objects or other contamination

 

[Ol'Rattler]

it's easy enough to remove the cover for periodic inspections without exposing the belt and components to foreign objects or other contamination

Very true. If you have to check the timing belt every time you are under the hood, then something isn't right and should be fixed.

 

[hughesjasonk]

my 0.02-
I agree the appearance is that the damage is occurring to the outer surface of the belt, may be something minor etc.

But....

Given the knowledge of how critical the TB components are, and knowing that, if anything in the TB path fails, the cylinder head will need to come off and be rebuilt...

Personally, I would declare the car out of service (not driveable). I would park it and do a complete TB job, just as if the TB were normally due. And I would be very thankful that the issue was caught by maintenance / inspection, instead of by coasting to the side of the road somewhere.

this! $1300 later my ALH is back on the road.

 

[Genesis]

Yep.

My guess from the pics is that the top roller's bearing is seized in whole or part and is tearing the back of the belt off (it looks like it is accumulating parts of it.) I would take that car out of service now (don't even start it) and do the whole timing belt kit, with all rollers, tensioner and water pump.

If it fails you're screwed.

 

[Geordi]

it's easy enough to remove the cover for periodic inspections without exposing the belt and components to foreign objects or other contamination

Very true. If you have to check the timing belt every time you are under the hood, then something isn't right and should be fixed.

^^^Until something falls in there or crawls in there....Don't take this advice. It's just bad.

I don't "have" to inspect the belt every time I'm under the hood, and I certainly haven't found anything when I do. As for something crawling or falling in there... I'd be surprised if that was even possible: My TDI is hardly ever not moving. I've been averaging 4000 miles a month since I bought it. I did 4000 miles on it just in December, and that was only in the first 2 weeks, AND with a hole in the transmission case that was made by the axle end! (The TDI has been parked since just before Christmas when I discovered the hole during a normal transmission fluid change)

The cover is nothing more than a nice plastic dust cover. Something could "climb in" or "fall in" to the crankshaft / serp belt area and do just as much damage, if the crank is jammed up. I wasn't giving anyone advice, just stating what I do with my own TDI. If you like scraping your fingers to find all the clips that hold it shut, be my guest. I didn't, so that cover stays in the garage, along with the big plastic engine beauty cover.

 

[jasonTDI]

Foreign objects in the serp belt are a completly different situation. The car will not start if it's jammed. Or it will be dragged to a stop. Drop something into the timing belt path and it WILL be shreaded in less than a second due to the tension on it. TRUST ME. I've seen cars that were turned over by the starter a couple times with debris in the belt path and watched it shread the belt to a 1/4" sliver.

Hey, it's your car.....

 

[halocline]

Looks like a pretty chewed up roller in the first pic. I would not start that car until the belt is replaced.