negiti

I posted several times awhile ago re: the likelihood that my valves had bent as a result of a timing belt fiasco.

Well, I'm happy (sort of) to report:

- Yes, the @#$ top bank of valves on each head are bent across the board,

- Everyone that said to junk the car due to cost was premature, especially with $2.5K of suspension ups in the balance,

- Everyone that said I needed a new engine was right, since the engine also overheated it turns out.

I found WWW.CAR-PART.COM. wOw. They had over 80 pages of listings for whole VG30E engines all over the country. They put an asterisk next to the page number with the LOWEST PRICE/CALL FOR PRICE.

I found an engine with 30K fewer miles than the bent one, already pulled and sitting on the shelf w/a cracked intake, 24 miles away, for 150 BUCKS PLUS TAX.

Why, I happen to have a perfectly good intake just sittin' around. <teehee>

It gets (potentially) better: There is a local diesel college that routinely takes outside work for training purposes. LABOR IS FREE, you provide or buy the parts. I can request that an instructor perform the work, or supervise, or I can always drop the bent one and replace it myself at my brother's place.

One 1991 FACTORY Max service manual off of eBay later, we're just about good to go.

This forum was a LIFESAVER in helping to determine what was and was not, and how I might/should proceed. Many, MANY thanks to all who helped.

cheatham

Sounds like a great deal you have in the works there. Also good to see another TN member here. After you get her back on the street, we should get together so I can see that suspension you have.

-JP

negiti

Sounds like a bet! Hope to have it running again in the next 2 weeks. The automatic trans needs attention, but will most likely make it through the cold weather just fine w/some TLC.

broncoguy

Sounds like a good deal. I would suggest, though, that if you're having trouble with the tranny it's better to try and take care of it now rather than later. After all, you're going to have the engine out one way or another anyway..maybe you'll get lucky and be able to pick up a good used tranny for cheap, just like you did the engine.

acidspit86

how many miles did you have on the belt before it broke?

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

60k it broke right on time


















ok, so I'm full of it. However I don't recommend ever pushing it past 61k

acidspit86

is there some reason these belts are to be replaced at 60K? are they prone to break after that? my dads mechanic says it should be good for 70 - 80k at least and manufacturers are over carefull with that number. i dont think i should belive him though when my engine turns to trash

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

the safe point is 60k due to time and rubber deterioration.
I wouldn't push it because new valves and heads are much more expensive than a new belt.

negiti

I am the author for this thread. I don't "get" the comment earlier about the belt (whose belt?) breaking at 60K.

My belt didn't break, and the miles on the motor were about 132000. I am sure it had been replaced at 60K, as the car was dealer kept all first 10 years. (got the receipts - that's why I bought it)

It DID however overheat something fierce, and it was overdue for its second belt. I changed out the thermostat, water pump, timing belt and the idler wheel. (very rusty from the water pump leaking)

After cooling down, the motor touch started and sounded good. Another Royal Purple story chalked up. In cranking over the motor by hand, I was using the bolt head on the front cam. The slack in the belt accumulated in front of the cam, and VOILA', I jumped about three teeth, but it happened so fast I didn't know it at the time.

In the process, I cranked the motor more times by hand. Even this was enough to bend the valves the few thousandths of an inch necessary to make them stick open. SCRRREEWWWD.

And here were are.

-Joe

acidspit86

sorry man, for some reason i thought the belt broke and the pistons hit the valves

thumpyls

so did u get the car on the road?

unsprung

Well, since the topic did come up...

Before (or after, not sure which is better) you drop the engine, make sure TO replace the timing belt... would be ironic if that broke all of a sudden right after you got this new engine in (considering this thread title and all)