Oily cam belt

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Major_Tom
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Oily cam belt

Post by Major_Tom »

..so I was driving this morning when this smell of burning oil becomes quite obvious. I pull over and find that the rocker cover gasket is leaking from around the cam pulley. Its run down the engine and dripped onto the bottom pulley and been merrily sprayed over everything, including my nice new alternator! But more importantly the timing belt.

Is there any good way to get it off, any degreaser or something, without affecting the belts strength?
I'm the one who leaves all those shoes in the carriageway.
Paul G
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by Paul G »

If I was still teaching mechanics in the college I would say that any oil contaminated belt should be renewed as a matter of course. If however your leak has just suddenly happened today or yesterday you might get away with thoroughly cleaning everything with Gunk, Hyperclean or some other degreaser. Also make sure that your camshaft, jack shaft and crank oil seals aren't leaking.

Make sure everything is thoroughly clean and do it asap.

To cover my arse I would advise changing the belt.
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Major_Tom
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by Major_Tom »

It might be camshaft oil seal actually. I'll change the rocker cover gasket and find out I guess. I assume there's no easy way to tell unless its all put back together and running?

Thanks for the info.
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Major_Tom
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by Major_Tom »

OK just been to have another look... the front cam shaft oil seal has popped out of the carrier. I just levered it back in with a screwdriver but I've never seen this happen before! Suggestions?
I'm the one who leaves all those shoes in the carriageway.
Paul G
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by Paul G »

Major_Tom wrote:OK just been to have another look... the front cam shaft oil seal has popped out of the carrier. I just levered it back in with a screwdriver but I've never seen this happen before! Suggestions?
Get a new one. if it's done it once it may do it again.
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Major_Tom
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by Major_Tom »

Fucking thing died and now won't fire! Doesn't want to be push started either. Argh! Going to have a cuppa then try the basics.
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by SmokeEm »

I would change the gasket & the cam seal as a matter of course. As your engine is now interference, I would not risk the old belt when a new one is only £20 and 20min job?
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by Will01 »

Change the belt, they are certainly not designed to run with oil spray in this application.
Cheap and easy to replace anyway on these cars, the components used in the belt you have will swell and not like oil very much.
Plans have changed to just make a good fun Track Car :)
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Major_Tom
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by Major_Tom »

I have a spare belt so will do that, thanks guys.

Still won't fire.. battery on charge now.
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by SmokeEm »

Give the dizzy cap a good clean and check that oil hasn't dripped down No1 plug recess etc. It'll be something simples. Whose electronic ignition have you got? If it's accuspark, (Or lackofspark as I call them) then go through the basics of checking for a spark on the king lead etc - They are prone to failure without warning.
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by Major_Tom »

It's a Bestek setup Dave. It has some strange issues that's for sure... there's something wrong with the distributor, causing the timing to wander over a few thousand miles. Tweak the dizzy, the revs come back up, and it (usually) starts better again.

There were some interesting metal fragments in my oil sump attached to my magnetic sump plug about 18 months ago, which Glyn identified as bits of a roll pin from the distributor! It will have to be replaced when I can afford it.
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by Major_Tom »

Running again now.. cleaned up some contacts.. and wandering timing again!? This car is doing some odd things at the moment.
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by SmokeEm »

When you get chance to have it parked up again for a week or so, send it back to Jon @ Bestek and he will refurb it for you real cheap.
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Re: Oily cam belt

Post by Major_Tom »

Good to know, just emailed him about an hour ago actually.
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