Rb26 Whine/knock

[gotenek]

I'm back to bother ya'll again. hehe. I'll get right to it, Please follow my story below:

I had this tapping/knocking noise on rb26 that came on 1 minute after i cold start it but it would go away after 20 minutes initially..

I took a stethoscope and poked around the whole top of the engine. From the cam covers, all i could hear was the injector ticking but when i put it on the cam angle sensor or the timing cover ( i have a clear plastic one). It was clearly audible as in it hurt my ears listening to that knock.

So I took out the CAS and everything and

The shaft on the CAS was greasy with no rubbing marks but the O ring was still good. I installed another good used CAS but the knock was still there.

Then I found out that the previous retarded owner had not put the gasket and spacer grommets on the clear timing cover when he installed it.

eBut he included the original cover when I bought the car so I checked it out and as I suspected, the old timing cover still had the gasket and the washers stuck on it. So I went ahead and installed it. And this happened..

There is a knock and ofcourse the whining noise.. I have no idea what it is. How do I diagnose what it is? Would it be safe to diagnose with the engine running like that?

[breaker1845]

Did you set your timing back to the original position it was after removing and replacing the CAS?

[Hadouken]

Well quite frankly you should have been there with a timing light making sure it was set right.

For all we know that knocking is your piston fist bumping your valves.

[GTRPSI]

Holy crap that sounds bad.

Remove the cas and front timing cover, take a look around something funky happening there.

[sonicz]

Maybe the timing belt was put on too tight or too loose or on an angle and something is slapping against something that shouldn't there, or the tensioner is going bad,

I would seriously get the timing belt redone including bearings because if its snaps you will almost certainly break the engine. I hope its not the gates racing blue belt either as Ive heard they are POS.

[breaker1845]

Nothing wrong with Gates timing belts, providing they are genuine. Usually incorrect installation leads to problems for any belt.

[gotenek]

I put the CAS back in the same position. Marked everything before taking it off.

Yes, I believe the timing belt was a little too tight. But what would cause the knocking noise?

[gotenek]

Took the timing belt cover off. There were no rubbing marks on the timing cover.

Intake cam gear was grinding with the vack cover and the exhaust cam gear slightly grinding as well.

Timing belt a little tight. I'm not sure how tight its supposed to be. Found some rubbing marks on the inside teeth of the timing belt for 1 inch.

Is the ok for the timing belt to move back and forth? Any comments on the grinding? What can be told about those rubbing mark on the teeth?

http://s27.postimg.org/k7t1lauwz/20150928_154209.jpg

Video showing the timing belt play and cam gear grinding :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GclZnyZXrFI

Edited September 28, 2015 by gotenek

[Ben C34]

That belt is loose.

Putting a cas back on and hoping it's in the right spot is retarded. (lining marks is hoping)

Only way is with a light. Everytime .

[tridentt150v]

That is a serious sound.........I am not there [so its kinda hard to tell where its really coming from], but I would be super worried and looking hard at the motor and not just the timing belt. You have major issues IMO.

But wind your motor over and check the timing marks all line up for a start.

One last thing, where did the drop of coolant come from........its on the wrong side for the water pump and hoses??

[gotenek]

I am very worried as well which is why I try to research as much as possible before I do any further diagnosis or find out how to do this diagnosis.

I pulled the coolant line in front of the timing cover and it dripped a bit. Nothing to worry about lol.

[sonicz]

Man just get a timing belt kit, belt water pump and bearings. Preferably get a genuine kit. Re do the whole thing. You don't want to risk the timing belt or tensioner snapping on you.

Nothing wrong with Gates timing belts, providing they are genuine. Usually incorrect installation leads to problems for any belt.

I have no personal experiences with them, but I have heard WAY to many bad stories about the V racing gates belts to ever use one. Stories such as things being perfect at first, then the car developing timing issues or the belt rubbing off after only 20-30,000ks after installation, whereas the genuine nissan belt would go at least 100,000k with no problems. Not just from one source but the same story repeated over and over again.

Edited September 29, 2015 by sonicz

[Ben C34]

From people who don't know how to tension a belt.

[Duncan]

I've been using gates belts for years on road and my race car with no issues.

but anyway, that noise is horrible but almost certainly something rotating at the front. If I understood right you are saying the cam gear (intake in particular) is rubbing on the backing plate, that definitely should not happen. Also as Ben said that belt is dangerously loose and must be fixed ASAP, it is at major risk of skipping one or more teeth which can ultimately stuff your valves.

[sonicz]

I've been using gates belts for years on road and my race car with no issues.

Good to hear. Are these the blue racing ones, or the regular black ones?

Maybe all the bad ones were fake ebay ones. I didn't even know there were fake Gates V racing belts around.

[GTRPSI]

Man that belt is seriously loose.

My bets on belt slap on the lower cover or tensioners loose which would explain the knock sound.

[gotenek]

Thanks guys. After many confirmations, online and IRL, i know for certain that the timing belt is super loose. I will be pulling the engine in a week to change the oil pump, timing belt, tensioner, idler, spring, intake and exhaust gaskets, aac gasket.

Will definitely update on how it goes as everything is unfolded in the engine.

Thanks again everyone!