Loose cam caps

[Joss Walker]

My car is at RPM having the belts etc done and I thought you might be interested in the photo of what they saw when they took the cover off.


I'm sure these bolts aren't set to the correct torque!

Bearing in mind that my car had full OPC history to 98k and the 10k since that was all done at a famous indie in the North of England it just goes to show that you can't rely on paperwork alone!

 

[sulzeruk]

I woulr be changing the chain and tensioner, the tensioner should be white. Well past its date and the chain looks worn as well.
Alasdair

 

[craiginuk]

Ouch - looks like you caught that one just in time. Reminds me of a honda xr 600 r offroad bike i bought as a non starter a few years back. The " reconditioned" engine had a camshaft bearing missing! Not great considering there are only 2 bearings!

Really glad you got it in time.

Craig

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I would be changing the chain and tensioner, the tensioner should be white. Well past its date and the chain looks worn as well.

I agree. Mine goes in soon and I think it's belt year, so I have to accept it could also be water pump, chain, tensioners, gawd knows what.

I spoke to Darren today, RPM seem to be settling in to the new workshops very well so I'm sure they'll advise. I would have loved to go there on Saturday for the open day, but work then dog walking in the New Forest got the Boss's vote. [&o]

 

[bmnelsc]

As cam cover gaskets and cam drive chains are not a "scheduled" maintenance item I guess its possible that this is the first time the cam cover is off your engine. If so - that would certainly be a factory workmanship issue - and I imagine quite rare.

On the bright side - it was found before disaster. The exhaust cam is likely still straight as the timing chain helps hold it in place but I'd check the intake cam to see if it has developed a wobble. Probably not much tho or I would think you would have some rough running...

 

[robdimond]

Here's my cam cover horror picture, I thought I'd check under there after I bought the car:

Replaced the tensioner pads there and then... just about to do the chain.

 

[Joss Walker]

I've always been really happy with RPM and they know what they are doing with these engines so I'm following their advice and other knowledgeable guys on this forum, so its all belts, tensioner, water pump, pulleys, leaking gaskets and all kinds of other stuff this time round.

To be honest I was going to delay the belts until next year, I've spent a fortune on the car in the last year and the only time I've driven it was to the MOT test and then to Rutland so my reserve of love was pretty much depleted, the belts were last done 5 years and 5k ago so I was thinking I could stretch them to another year! Can't imagine how annoyed I'd be if I had wrecked the engine in about 200 miles time!

See, you lot are wise with the OTT replacement of the belts, I've been converted.

 

[J4CKO]

Ok, not good, but surely having taken all this time to wind out to where they are they look like they have stopped, am guessing that they hit the cam cover and couldnt undo any more, the other six look ok and the cams are located at each end and held together by the belt, might be wrong, it isnt good but it isnt quite as bad as it looks.