Have i fooked my engine?

[patricks]

vocky evocarlos Changed my balance chain and balance chain tensioner on my 03 astra. Refitted everything and rotated crank twice – all normal. When I started engine I heard horrible noises coming from top end sounded like tapping and there was also some screeching coming from timing case. Timing pics below of both chains.

I stopped engine added a bit of oil and restarted the engine and the noise from top end stopped after 20 seconds but was still noisy/screeching on timing case and then went quiet and sounded completely normal after the engine threw off the auxillary belt. I reversed the car and drove back into garage it felt normal but the power steering no longer works. Too scared to start her again now….

What have I done wrong???? My real concern is

1 the oil pump is fooked I rotated it a bit so I could get the engine pulley back on could that effect its working and hence top end noise when i first started it?

2. i have done the timing wrong on either or both chains

Obviously I must be fitting the aux belt tensioner incorrectly too – I don’t know what im doing wrong – my procedure is I put the belt on engine pulley then around alternator and air con compressor then put the belt tensioner on and pushed down on the belt whilst I turn the bolt.

I reaslise that’s a lot to ingest………

 

[Martyfart2013]

If your engine turns over by hand easy with spark plugs out with no stubborn force in trying to turn then its properly not the timing I'd say its the auxiliary belt or pully you might want to check all bolts are tight and check that the belt is on correctly

 

[patricks]

The belt is definately on incorrectly otherwise it wouldnt have came off - dont know what im doing wrong - what is the correct procedure to put the aux tensioner and belt back on correctly?

 

[Dave Gilbert]

The belt tensioner is auto tensioning. Theres a 3/8 square hole in the side of the tensioner, get a ratchet in there and lift up, fit the belt and let the tensioner sit on the belt. Done.

 

[patricks]

The belt tensioner is auto tensioning. Theres a 3/8 square hole in the side of the tensioner, get a ratchet in there and lift up, fit the belt and let the tensioner sit on the belt. Done.

You would think so dave - but belt keeps coming off and its a new one - the good news is the horrible noises have stopped i think that was just oil getting to the new tensioner/chain and the power steering works as long as the belt stays on.

The tensioner should automatically move downwards in a spring like action yes? This one doesnt - have i over tightened the bolt perhaps that holds in onto the timing case?

 

[evocarlos]

you relly should prime the oil system with the coil pack unplugged before running the engine a idle speed
from cold in some cases after doing a chain/oil-filer change it can take 10secs for the oil to reach the top of the chain

the belt tensioner has a location hole i have seen one car in the past were the peg was not in the hole and the tensioner was fixed and not moving maybe the same issue ?

 

[patricks]

you relly should prime the oil system with the coil pack unplugged before running the engine a idle speed
from cold in some cases after doing a chain/oil-filer change it can take 10secs for the oil to reach the top of the chain

the belt tensioner has a location hole i have seen one car in the past were the peg was not in the hole and the tensioner was fixed and not moving maybe the same issue ?

Yep it took about 10 secs for the racket to stop i was convinced i fooked up the timing. I didnt prime it cause last time when i changed my timing chain and primed it the engine got flooded. Ok that's it then - i have just been putting the tensioner up against the timing case and bolting it on i didnt realise there was any peg to slot it

 

[evocarlos]

its almost impossible to flood and injection engine ive not managed to do it in the last 15years

 

[patricks]

its almost impossible to flood and injection engine ive not managed to do it in the last 15years

Well i must be special cause i managed to do it lucky me it lol.

 

[patricks]

evocarlos Dave Gilbert Martyfart2013 thanks fellas im all sorted - was the belt tensioer - she is as quite as a mouse again and running sweet. Though i still have a tapping sound at start up and that unfortunately is a dud lifter on the exhaust cam on cylinder one which has being annoying me for the best part of 100,000km........but thats a fix that can wait......for now at least Oh and BTW carl please dont take this the wrong way - but look at the pics of my timing case area - clean as a whistle - i know u may disagree with the viscosity of oil i use but the proof of its worth is there to see..........

 

[Daz86]

What grade do you use mate

 

[patricks]

What grade do you use mate

Hi Daz the short answer is 0-40 PAO fully synthetic mostly and in summer i use 0-50 full synthetic PAO.

That's the short answer here is the long one lol. 90% of engine damage happens at start up - not enuff oil on critical components causes the damage - so the quicker the oil gets to your critical components at start up the better. The first number in the oil viscosity is a very important indicator to how the oil flows at cold from start up - so a 0-40 will flow quicker at start up than 10-40 or 5-30 or 15-40 etc etc and hence less engine damage at start up.....

Also i use full synthetic PAO oil - if your oil doesnt say PAO on the bottle its not a genuine synthetic oil ie it comes form the ground and not a lab. Genuine synthetic PAO oils offer far more engine protection at start up and dont break down as easily or form the sludge/varnish like mineral oils do.

 

[evocarlos]

and thats another reason for letting the engine warm up before hard use
ive tried most 0-40 fully was rubbish it took 400miles to get dirty enough to stop the lifters ticking when cold
the 5-30 fully synthetic is what i run now its charged the extra power requires better oil as it runs hotter and harder
the 10/40 was run for 10 years in my original engine and yes agreed the 10/40 semi synthetic dont have all the degreasers in like the synthetics so is a little dirtier but are great for the uk climate and then there's the cost £22 for 5l with a filter its easier to just change it 4 times a year

 

[patricks]

Hey carl dont u sleep lol 5-30 in ur climate is fine but my point is 0-30 would be better again for start up protection especially if its PAO. Theoretically 0-40 should flow quicker at start up than 5-30 or at least thats what the tech heads at the oil companies have told me lol

 

[Martyfart2013]

I put 2ltr 5/40 weekly lol

 

[patricks]

I put 2ltr 5/40 weekly lol

Why does it use so much oil - what is ur engine compression like?

 

[Martyfart2013]

I rekon the rings are fooked