coolant leak to timing belt job?

Kneale Brownson kneale at coslink.net
Wed Aug 2 07:45:33 EDT 2006


Swinging the water pump is how you adjust the tension on a 3B timing belt,
Ed.  Proper tension "test" according to Bentley is only being able to twist
the belt "90 degrees with the thumb and forefinger midway between the
camshaft and the pump sprocket".   Doesn't specify any measure for finger
and thumb strength, of course.  More than likely, a leak from the pump
means it's time to replace it and you might as well replace the belt, seals
and idler while you're at it.


At 11:23 PM 8/1/2006 -0600, Ed Kellock wrote:
>My pursuit of a coolant leak in the Avant has uncovered a seriously loose
>timing belt.  I had thought the leak was suspiciously coming from an area
>that could certainly have been from the w/p.  None of the many small hoses,
>buried by the now removed p/s pump seem to have been leaking.  Is it true
>that the timing belt tension is provided by adjusting the water pump?  I
>know that's how it is on the AAN but haven't played the t-belt game on a 3B
>or any 10v motor before.  My theory is that the water pump adjustment came
>loose and the water leak is a symptom of that.  Boy am I glad I parked it
>and got the V8 t-belt done and out of the garage before digging into this.
>
>The belt is so loose that I can wiggle it back and forth on the water pump
>pulley.  I could pop it off with one finger if I wanted to.  I can bend the
>belt 90 degrees with one finger.  The opposite length of it between the cam
>pulley and crank pulley is snug, but also easily turned 90 degrees.



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