heinrich

Nice ... my friend just did a valve replacement for me on my GTS, after t-belt failure. So I drove it to emissions, and on the way back (about 40 miles total travel), the belt snapped in half. We'll have to investigate the cause, because belts don't snap without warning ... they rub and complain and take a LOT of abuse.

I gave my friend a brand new belt to instal. Unfortunately he didn't replace the water pump because he felt it was in great shape, but it is unlikely the pump was the cause of failure. The only warning signs I got were:

1) a rub/ribbing sound (I believe the belt was snapped already at this point)
2) insuficient oil pressure warning (I went to Neutral immediately and coasted off the road as I turned the engine off)

I'm suspecting something wrong with the belt itself, or maybe the valve train.

Stay tuned. Drink up

Bill Ball

Seized oil pump could snap a belt ot at least strip it. Seized water pump would burn the belt for a while first. Jezuz, this is bad. Sorry to hear it, Hman.

heinrich

Thanks Guys. Yeah it is a bummer. So BIll, the seized oil pump had come to mind, yes .... OP was perfect though ... no indication of a pump failure. Guess we'll see when we open her up.

ew928

Dang it.

With a brokebelt failure you don't know how the belt was routed before Waaaah.

Sailmed

Jeez Mon,
That just ain't fair -

Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net

Sorry to hear about this.

My guess is going to be that something like the tensioner was mis-aligned and the belt came off, binding in place and then torn apart.

I hope the friendship survives

dprantl

A brand new belt snapped in half?! The only way I can see this happening is if the rollers around the crank gear seized and the belt bunched up around there...

Dan
'91 928GT S/C

Tom. M

Just a swag..but the RRRRRRRR sound H is talking about could be something not turning up there...cam? oil pump ?? crank ? Maybe a defective belt (any reports out there of bad batches?) Was the root cause of the first valve crash ever known? also, was endplay on the crank checked? could the thrust bearing have been toast to begin with? good luck..I'd like to know why a belt would snap...not many reports of that happening..many just shear off the teeth (weak point)..unless it rubs on the waterpump(seized) and smokes itself to bits..

doktor-t

Maybe this would be the time to install a hot Chevy smallblock. I think this is a quite easy operation.

Someone done it around here?

aggravation

Blasphemy! (although I'd like to have one on the side just for fun )

Hienrich, sorry to hear about that...

Sailmed

I'd rather shove in a OB engine - cheaper, and easier......
By the time you add up all the true cost for that chevy, he can actually install another 5 or 5.4lt PORSCHE....... there is no substitute

928ntslow

That IS strange! Very sorry H bro. By setting the tension, one would obviously have to turn the crank and all and it would be apparent at that time what wasn't spinning. I suspect the crank was in the 45 degree position when loaded...

The only thing I can think of that could snap a belt (which is ridiculously rare) is the crank. There would have to be a huge amount of force elsewhere to pull the belt apart. Sounds like the oil pump is suspect as Bill mentioned. No other point in the belt path could generate that kind of pressure on the belt.

I'm certainly on the edge of my seat on this one...as is everyone else.

ColinB

EinAA Heinrich!
Jammer man.

Colin

Fabio421

Sorry to hear this Heinrich. Good luck in finding the culprit.

Charley B

Ugly news H. Why and how did the first belt fail?